The Shinobi Sorcerer
by castlecrasher009
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki believed in a lot of things, but magic was not one of them. But when a strange woman appears in Konoha and starts doing things that no ninja could possibly do, his view of the world suddenly gets a little more broader. Watch as he becomes the worlds first Shinobi Sorcerer and takes the world like his namesake, a malestrom. Naruto x Harem
1. Enter Naruto Uzumaki and a Sorceress?

The Shinobi Sorcerer

By Castlecrasher009

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. You know the rest.

 _Long, long ago, there existed a group of beings, known as 'The Sisters of Alorra'. These sisters were gifted in the art of magic and mysticism through the use of 'Mana', and were blessed with eternal life and beauty. They used their powers to cultivate life in the world and protected it from the dark powers that wished to conquer it. For thousands of years, the Sisters remained in obscurity, preferring to remain hidden within their wooded realm and out of the affairs of man._

 _Then one day, man began to be plagued with unnatural diseases and calamities. The Sisters sensed these disasters were caused by dark forces who were attempting to destroy the nearly powerless man and harvest their souls to empower themselves. And so, the Sisters journeyed into the realm of man and used their magic to save their souls and drive the dark powers back into the abyss from which they came. Having bared witness to their power and benevolence, man praised the sisters and revered them as great spirits and bestowing upon them the title of 'Sorceress'. The Sisters then chose to remain in man's realm and continued to aid man by healing the sick and wounded and offering them council._

 _The Sisters even began to acquire a following as many young women came before them in hopes of learning magic. The Sisters accepted the young women and took them in as apprentices, teaching them their ways. For hundreds of years, peace continued between man and the Sisters as the number of followers grew. However, that peace was shattered as a group of men calling themselves 'The Holy Order of Iliad' rose to power and began to influence the world of man. The Order saw the Sorceresses as beings of evil, blaming them for the disasters that gripped man, and labeled them as 'Witches'. As the Order's influence spread, more men joined them in their quest to eradicate the witches. One by one, the followers of the Sisters of Alorra were hunted down and executed. Man's hatred of the sorceresses began to affect many of the followers, being forced to watch as their 'sisters' die, and gave into their hatred, becoming the witches that they were accused of being._ _Eventually, only a handful of loyal followers remained. With man turning against them, the Sisters gathered their remaining followers to take them back to their own realm where they left man to their fate._

 _Ages passed as the Order took dominion over the world of man and 'guided' them down the path of their own design while the Sisters remained in their seclusion. Then the dark powers returned, and with it, the near fall of man. The world was thrown into chaos as the dark powers ravaged the lands, causing calamity after calamity until at last, the event known as 'The Great Cataclysm' razed man's world and left the race nearly extinct. It was only by the intervention of a man known as 'The Sage of Six Paths' did man's world survive._

 _With peace returned to the world, man was free to reclaim his realm once more, but not before the Sage gifted them with the ability to use a power called 'Chakra'. With chakra, man carved out a new civilization for itself, one where battles between good and evil were waged not in light, but in the shadows. The age of 'Shinobi' had come. But some things of the past refuse to remain forgotten, and events were in motion that could spell disaster for all. This did not go unnoticed by a certain group of magical beings._

 _It was time for the Sisters of Alorra…to return._

Chapter One: Enter Naruto Uzumaki…and a Sorceress?

It was a beautiful morning in Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The sun was rising in the sky, casting its warm rays upon the village. The birds were singing as they flew above the building tops, and the villagers were waking up and beginning their days with warm smiles on their faces. Yes, you could not ask for a more tranquil scene…

"NARUTOOOOO!"

…If you don't count the small squad of shinobi chasing after a twelve year old blonde boy with whisker marks on his cheeks wearing a jumpsuit with so much orange that you had to be blind not to notice him and green goggles on his head, running away while laughing like a loon.

"Naruto, get back here!'

"You've gone too far this time!"

"When I get my hands on you!"

"HAHAHAHA! Give it up you guys! You'll never catch me!"

Naruto Uzumaki was having a blast. Why wouldn't he? After all, he had just pulled off the most bold and daring prank he had ever conceived, painting graffiti all over the Hokage Monument. The giant busts carved into the side of the large cliff face that loomed over the hidden village were covered in various colored paints as they depicted things like facial markings to expressions to specific words describing the busts themselves. The real kicker was that nobody had noticed him doing it until after the prank had been done.

Seriously, this was a village full of highly trained shinobi, and they didn't even notice him doing it?

"You guys are just mad because you don't have the guts or the brains to pull off something like this. Losers!"

And so, the boy led the group of shinobi back and forth, up and down, and every which way you can think as he continued to taunt his pursuers. Eventually, he jumped down from the roof and landed next to a fence before bolting back up towards the roofs again, with the shinobi following closely behind. The various shouts faded away as the ninja got further from the spot, and once everything quieted down again, a part of the fence shifted and rolled away, revealing Naruto hiding behind a large sheet of paper made to resemble the fence. The boy grinned, as he looked towards the direction his pursuers disappeared.

"Hahaha! That was too easy. Idiots."

"Naruto!"

"Gah!"

Naruto jumped and quickly spun around to find the one person who seemed to always find him no matter where he was, his teacher in the shinobi arts, Iruka Umino.

"Oh, hey there, Iruka-sensei."

"Don't you 'hey there' me, Naruto. What do you think you're doing? Not only are you skipping class, but you also defaced the Hokage Monument!"

"Oh, come on, Iruka-sensei, it's just a prank, and besides, if a whole village of trained shinobi fail to catch me up there painting the monument until after I've done it, then they need to have their eyes checked."

Iruka sighed as he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and started to drag him off. "That might be true, but that is still no excuse for you to be doing it. Now come on, class started over an hour ago and you are going to attend it, even if I have to tie you up to make you stay. You're also cleaning up the monument after class."

"What? Oh, Come on, Iruka-sensei, you don't expect me to clean all that up by myself do you? That's cruel and unusual. It's not fair. Seriously, it'd take me forever to get all that paint off. Have a heart."

Iruka ignored the boys' pleas as he dragged the boy towards the academy. He was quite use to Naruto and his antics by now, so his begging would not work on him. Unnoticed by the both of them, someone had watched the entire event with delightful amusement, as melodic giggles filled the air. The angelic laughter came from a figure sitting on the edge of a roof that was most definitely female. The figure was dressed in a white cloak with only the bottom half of her face visible, which revealed beautiful white skin and alluring pink lips that were curled up into an amused smile. Siting on her lap was a small white cat with a golden collar wrapped around its neck. Hanging off the collar was a small pendant with a seven-pointed star with archaic symbols carved inside the boundary of each point. A slender hand reaching through the folds of the cloak petted the content feline as it purred away on her lap while the woman gazed upon the defaced monument with glee.

"What delightful mischief." She spoke in an otherworldly voice that would bewitch anyone who heard it. Her gaze turned to where Naruto was being dragged away and her smile changed from amused to adoring. "You certainly keep things interesting around here. Don't you, Naruto?"

\- Later – Ichiraku Ramen Stand –

Naruto and Iruka were setting down on a couple of bar stools while enjoying a nice hot and steamy bowl of ramen, courtesy of the ramen chief Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame. As Iruka had promised, he had tied Naruto up once they got to the academy and Naruto was forced to participate in class. Iruka then proceeded to reprimand Naruto in front of the entire class, informing him that if he didn't take his training seriously, he was going too fail the final exam a third time. Iruka then made everyone review the transformation jutsu, which Naruto had done, but used his own variant called the _'Sexy Jutsu'_ , turning himself into a sexy girl whose private parts were only covered in an obscuring smoke. This lead to Iruka having a nosebleed as well as making him use his _'Big-Head Jutsu'_ to yell at Naruto for pulling that stunt. Later on, he made Naruto clean off the Hokage Monument. Naruto complained nearly the whole time, but Iruka was stubborn and told him he wasn't going home until every bit of paint was gone. When Naruto commented that 'It's not like there is anyone waiting for me', Iruka then offered to take the boy out to eat ramen, which was all the motivation the boy needed and got the cleanup done in record time. So, here they were after sun down and eating ramen at their favorite food stand with the chiefs all too happy to fill their customer's bellies with ramen (and subsequently fill the register with money.)

"Naruto, why did you paint graffiti over the Hokage Monument? You do know who the Hokage are, right?" Iruka asked the lad in between bites of ramen.

"Sure I do. They're the best shinobi of the village." Naruto answered as he finished off his bowl. "Each one of them was the greatest ninja of their time. Everyone looks up to them, especially the Fourth, since he was the one to defeat the Nine Tailed Demon Fox twelve years ago."

"Then why did you do that if you look up to them?"

"Because I'm going to surpass them all, that's why?" Naruto said as Ayame brought him another bowl of ramen. After thanking the girl, he dug right into the yummy bowl of noodley goodness, and completely missing the loving look the girl gave him. As the girl moved away, Naruto continued. "I'm going to become the greatest Hokage who ever lived, and then everyone will stop disrespecting me and look up to me. Believe it!"

Iruka stared at Naruto for a few moments, milling over the declaration Naruto had just made.

"Um, Iruka-sensei?"

"Hmm? What is it, Naruto?"

"Could I, maybe, wear your headband, just for a little while?"

Iruka smirked as he thumbed his headband; the symbol of a ninja and the marking that identifies which village he is affiliated with. "So, you want to wear my headband, huh? Sorry, Naruto, but you are going to have to earn yours if you want to wear one. You'll have to pass the test tomorrow."

Naruto, who was understandably displeased with having his request denied, glared at his sensei before turning back to his meal. He vowed then and there that he would pass the test and earn his headband.

\- The Next Day – Konoha Ninja Academy –

Today was the day. The day of the final exam to graduate and become a shinobi of the Leaf. All the students arrived and took their seats as Iruka and Mizuki, the assistant teacher, came in and began to administer the test. Naruto had performed decently during the paper portion of the exam, he performed admirably during the physical portion, making good marks in throwing kunai and shurikens, and having a good taijutsu form did well in sparing. Now, though, came the ninjutsu portion of the exam. He was able to perform two of the three necessary jutsus to pass, the henge and the substitution jutsus, but now came the one jutsu that he could never perform correctly, the clone jutsu.

"Alright, Naruto, just make three clones and you will pass the exam." Iruka announced as he and Mizuki sat behind a desk with several leaf headbands rested, waiting for the students to take after they passed.

Naruto looked determined as he made the hand sign for 'Rat' and focused his chakra. The energy swirled around him as he built it up for the technique.

" _Clone Jutsu!"_

Naruto was suddenly covered in a cloud of smoke, and when it dissipated, it revealed the fruit of his labor.

A pale, sickly clone laying in a heap on the floor next to him.

"You Fail!" Iruka shouted as he took one look at the poor excuse for a clone.

Naruto was crushed. He had failed. Again. Even after he put so much effort into passing this time. He was almost in tears.

"Iruka, why don't we give Naruto a break? He did decently during the rest of the exam and he made a good attempt on this portion. Can't we cut him some slack this time?" Mizuki asked his fellow instructor.

"Mizuki, everyone else was able to make three decent clones, but Naruto was only able to make one, and it looks absolutely horrendous. I'm sorry, but I just can't pass him." Iruka spoke with finality.

Naruto couldn't help but feel betrayed as he lowered his head and slowly walked out of the exam room. He has never felt so bad before.

\- Minutes Later – Outside the Academy –

Naruto sat down on a swing hanging from a tree in the schoolyard as he watched the other students get congratulated by their friends and parents while wearing their shiny new headbands. The new ninjas had nothing but smiles on their faces as they swelled with pride and their parents were all too happy to heap praises upon them and promises of celebration upon their return home. But Naruto was not smiling, and he was not swelling with pride. Quite the opposite, actually. Naruto couldn't feel any lower than he did right now. Instead of proudly displaying a Leaf headband and telling everyone 'I told you I could do it!', he hung his head as he felt the shame of failure. It didn't help that he could hear some of the adults talking about him from afar.

"Is that him, under the tree?"

"Yeah, the only one who didn't pass."

"Che, serves him right."

"Just imagine if he actually became a ninja. I mean he is the-"

"Shhh! We're not supposed to talk about it."

Naruto wondered about what they were talking about. He had heard the villagers whispering behind his back and every time they would talk about him like this, others would quickly silence them. It was like some big secret that no one could speak about. Honestly, it was getting annoying. Feeling his depression worsening, he went for the one thing that would always make him feel better. Unzipping the front of his jumpsuit a little, he reached in and retrieved the one item that had been his since he could remember. Hanging from a long, thin metal chain was a small blue crystal intricately wrapped in silver wire threads. The crystal had been his one and only possession since he was a baby and he guarded it zealously from others. That, of course, didn't stop some people from taking it, claiming that he had stolen it or that he didn't deserve something so beautiful or valuable. But by some stroke of luck, it always seemed to find its way back to him. It was an item that offered him comfort. It was almost like magic. Any time he felt lonely or depressed, he would just hold the item and he would feel better, as if he could feel a comforting presence coming from the crystal. If he had to describe it, it felt like someone he couldn't see wrapping their arms around him and hold him in a warm embrace. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that this one crystal has been the thing that has kept him going all this time. And now wasn't any exception a he felt warmth emanating from the crystal and flow through him. Naruto closed his eyes and basked in the feeling letting some of his depression wash away. But he knew that not all of it would disappear, as there was always that desire to have someone who genuinely care for him, to love him unconditionally.

To be his family.

"Meow."

Naruto's eyes popped open as he looked down to see a snow-white cat looking up at him with a pair of blue slitted eyes. The cat raised up on its hind legs as it put its front paws on his leg, seemingly asking for his attention.

"Hey there, kitty. Where did you come from?" Naruto asked as he bent down, picked the cat up, and placed it in his lap. He started to gently pet the cat and it responded by purring loudly, enjoying the boys touch. "I guess you really like that, huh?"

The cat meowed again in response.

" _*Giggle.*_ It looks like Azreal just made a new friend."

Naruto looked up to see what he thought was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The woman in question wore a long white hooded cloak held closed by a single chain anchored at the collar that reached all the way down to her feet. The woman's face was visible from under the hood, revealing some slightly curly platinum hair, alluring blue eyes, attractive pink lips set on a heart shaped face. The cloak was partially open, showing that the woman was wearing a long white dress that started at her shoulders and ran down to her ankles. The dress was form fitting, contouring to her body as it fit loosely around her legs before wrapping around her wide hips, slim waist and noticeably large bust. The dresses front opening dipped down from her shoulders and revealed a substantial amount of cleavage. She also wore several golden chains that wrapped around her abdomen from under her bust line to around her waist, creating an elaborate design. From around her neck hung a small golden necklace with a clear crystal wrapped in golden wire threads.

Naruto was left speechless as he watched the woman calmly approach him, a smile ever present on her face. The boy was amazed not only by her beauty, but also because he saw nothing but genuine kindness from the woman. Having been on the receiving end of tremendous amount of hate and scorn, he had picked up a 'sixth sense' on negative emotion from others. The fact that he didn't sense a single shred of negativity, and could actually fell the positive feeling for him coming from her was almost foreign to him.

"Hello, child. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Naruto snapped out of his trance and blinked a couple of times before his eyes squinted together as he gave a sheepish grin while scratching the back of his head. "Ah, ahahaha. It's, uh, nice to meet you too, miss…"

"Aurora. And I see you already meet Azreal." The woman, now known as Aurora, said as she looked down at the white cat as it continued to purr in his lap.

"Ah, yeah, I guess I did. Anyways, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and I am going to be the next Hokage, believe it!" Naruto declared with his patented grin.

Aurora's eyes widened for a moment from the boys declaration before she brought a hand to her mouth as she giggled, Naruto decided that he really like the sound she made. "I see. Well, future Hokage, may I ask what you are doing over here all by yourself while all your friends are celebrating over there." The woman asked as she motioned over to the crowd.

Naruto face fell as he felt his shame well up inside him as he stared down at his feet. "I…didn't pass the exam to be a shinobi, so I don't really want to be with those other kids right now. Also…I don't have any friends since no one once to be my friend."

Aurora frowned when she heard that, but quickly smiled again as she walked behind the boy. Naruto was a bit surprised when he felt the woman start to gently push in on the swing.

"Well, I would like to be your friend, if that is okay with you." Aurora said as she continued to push Naruto on the swing, but not too much as to knock Azreal from the boys lap.

"You want to be my friend, but why?"

"Does someone need a reason to be a friend?" Aurora asked with a kind tone in her voice.

Naruto sat there silently for a minute as he swung back and forth before a small smile graced his face. He felt really happy that someone seemed to genuinely want to befriend him.

"So, what will you do now?" Aurora finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"Now that you failed the exam, will you just simply give up?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he felt his determination return full force. "No way! There is no way in hell I'm giving up, not now, not ever. I'm going to become a shinobi even if I have to keep trying until I'm forty years old. I will succeed and show everyone that I'm not some screw-up, and then I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage." The boy spoke with conviction as he thrusted his fist into the air.

Aurora's smile widened, pleased that Naruto had such determination and drive to succeed.

' _Naruto, you really are just like-'_

"Naruto."

The two looked up to see the assistant teacher, Mizuki, waving at the boy. "Do you have some time, Naruto? I'd like to have a talk with you."

"Uh, sure, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto said as he stood up, allowing Azreal to jump down from off his lap. The boy turned to Aurora and bowed. "Sorry, Aurora, I gotta go. Mizuki-sensei wants to talk to me about something."

Aurora nodded her head and gave him one last smile. "I understand. Good-bye for now, Naruto."

Naruto smiled and started walking towards his teacher.

"Naruto."

Hearing Aurora call his name, he turned back to the white dressed woman as she walked up to him.

"I want you to know that there are many people who really do care about you, even if you don't see it. You must never give into despair and stay strong, for someone close to you might need your strength to save them from despair."

Naruto stood there for a moment before slightly nodding. The young boy then walked over to Mizuki and the two left the academy grounds. Aurora watched the two disappear around the corner before looking down at her feline companion and slightly inclined her head in their direction. The cat immediately took off in the same direction and in a single second disappeared from sight. With that, Aurora started to leave as well.

"Excuse me."

Aurora stopped in mid step and turned to find two women approaching her.

"Can I help you two?"

The two woman reached her and seemed to look around for a moment before leaning in to talk to her.

"You seem to be new around here. We saw you talking to that boy, and we felt that we need to warn you about something."

"…And that would be?"

"You need to be careful around that thing. It may look like a child, but it's actually a monster. If you are not careful, you could get killed."

Aurora stared blankly at the two woman for a moment before she smiled once more. However, unlike the smiles she gave to Naruto, this one lacked any warmth at all.

It was not a pleasant smile.

The two woman suddenly shivered as a feeling of dread overtook them, as though death had passed right over them.

"You know, young ladies like yourself shouldn't be talking about things they cannot comprehend. Just some friendly advice." Aurora spoke before turning and leaving the grounds. The two woman just watched her go completely rooted to where they stood with a sense of dread filling them to the brim.

\- Later – Leaf Village Rooftops –

Naruto and Mizuki found themselves sitting down on one of the many rooftops littering the Hidden Leaf's skyline. The sun was just starting to make its decent so the village was bathed in a bright orange glow. The two were talking about the exam as they watched the sun fall closer and closer to the horizon.

"Listen, Naruto, Iruka-Sensei is tough, but he is not against you."

"But why? Why is it always me?"

"Because he wants you to be strong, Naruto. But that will not happen if he goes easy on you. He is like you, you know, an orphan without friends or family to call his own."

"But, I really wanted to graduate this time."

Mizuki chuckled as he turned and looked at his student. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to tell you."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, clearly curious about what Mizuki was talking about.

"It's a secret, but I'll let you in on it."

Mizuki had the boy's undivided attention now, and he knew that Naruto would do exactly what he would tell him to do. What neither of them noticed was a small white cat sitting on a nearby rooftop staring at them with a pair of glowing blue eyes.

\- Elsewhere –

"My, my. It would seem that our dear assistant teacher is up to something."

Aurora was sitting in a comfortable cushion chair in a dark room lit only by candle as she gazed into a glowing orb that hovered over out outstretched hand; images of Naruto and Mizuki displayed on the surface of the ball. She was able to see and hear everything through her little friend who had tailed them since they left the academy, and she could say that the hunch she had about the grey-headed shinobi was spot on. The man was up to something and he was using Naruto's desperate desire to become a shinobi to trick him into doing something that could be potentially disastrous. The blonde narrowed her eyes as she closed he hand around the orb, making it disappear into nothingness. She tapped her chin in thought of her next course of action. She could go and put an end to whatever plan Mizuki was plotting, but she really wanted to see Naruto's potential, especially if she was going to go through with what she had planned for the boy. But at the same time, she didn't want him to get in over his head and get hurt if things went south. Taking a moment to make her decision, she held her hand out towards the corner of the room where an object rested against the wall. Said object was a long white wooden staff with a large clear crystal held on the top of the staff by wooden spokes in a twist basket configuration that wrapped around the crystal. The staff suddenly levitated into the air before floating into open hand. Gripping the staff firmly, Aurora stood up and walked to the center of the room.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go see the old man, then. I need to talk with him about Naruto, anyways."

The woman tapped the object in her hand two times on the floor, and the room lit up in a white light that grew brighter every second until both Aurora and the light vanished into thin air. With the only occupant of the room now gone, the candle that illuminated the space flickered and extinguished itself, almost like magic.

\- Hokage Tower –

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage and current ruler of Konoha, was busying himself with his least favorite part of his job, paperwork. The elderly leader was going over the final results of the tests for every student in the academy in his private study, and was entering the names of those who had passed into the ninja registry. Hiruzen had been the longest running Hokage to date, having been inaugurated during the First Shinobi World War and serving through the Second and Third, leading Konoha to victory in all three, the old shinobi was extremely wise and had gained numerous titles, such as 'God of Shinobi, or 'The Professor' since he has said to have mastered every none bloodline based jutsu the village of Konoha had on record. He was also one of the few people who openly supported Naruto, since the majority of the village shunned and ostracized him. It pained him to see the boy suffer, especially over something he had no control over. Unfortunately, he had very little power over the civilian side of the village, since the civilian council had used the incident with the Nine-tailed Fox attack and the subsequent sacrifice of his successor to seize as much power as they could before he could retake his position as leader. As such, he could not force the civilian to treat the boy fairly, especially since they seemed to have the support of the council elders. Sometimes he really wondered what his predecessor was thinking when he made the civilian council. They just seemed to do nothing but cause trouble.

Finishing up another student's report and adding his name to the list of active ninja, the wise old leader placed the booklet aside before picking up the next report in the stack. Opening it, he read the name of the one person he wanted to see succeed since the boy had first told him he wanted to be a ninja. He read Naruto's report, noting his grades in general and he had to frown when he saw how poorly his marks were. Sure, he knew about the boy's tendency to skip class and pull pranks, having to reprimand the boy on several occasions, but he also knew that a lot of these scores had nothing to do with Naruto's lack of trying. Just like with the civilians, there were quite a few ninja in the ranks that didn't like the boy, some of them even outright hating him. Unfortunately, many of these people were the instructors at the academy, and had taken almost every opportunity to sabotage the boy's education. Hiruzen would do all he could to try to make it fair for Naruto, and in the beginning had terminated a lot of instructors for their conduct towards the boy. However, once again, the civilian council got involved in the matter, and forced Hiruzen to stop administering such harsh punishment to these ninja by using the fact that many of their children were students in the academy and that continuously terminating instructors was detrimental to the students' studies because they would have to constantly adapt to the new instructors style of teaching. Once they got the backing of the elders, it was all she wrote for Naruto being treated fairly, and Hiruzen couldn't fell anymore powerless in the matter.

So, it was with a heavy heart that he looked at the final results and stared at the word 'Fail' in big red bold letters. The man sighed as he scribbled a few notes in the report and finalized Naruto's scoring. This was his third attempt and the boy just could not seem to catch a break. He would have to find the boy tomorrow, take him out for some Ichiraku ramen, and try to lift his spirits with his favorite food and some encouraging words.

"I see you have seen the results of you academy's 'efforts' to educate young Naruto again."

Kunai in hand, Hiruzen was already in front of the desk before the last syllable was uttered. His eyes narrowed as he looked around the study as he tried to locate the unknown person who had infiltrated the tower and had made it into his study.

"Who are you?! Show yourself!" The Hokage demanded of the intruder.

"If you insist, and is that anyway to talk to a lady?" The person said as a figure shimmered into view in front of the old man.

Hiruzen quickly studied the person that appeared before him before his eyes widened in shock. "Y-You…"

Aurora smiled gently at the old man who led the hidden leaf. "It has been some time…Hiruzen."

\- Sake Bar _'Hidden Flask'_ – At The Same Time –

Mizuki sat at the bar as he drank some sake and waited for the right time to set his plan in motion. It was so easy for him to convince Naruto to take the 'secret exam'. The little fool had no idea that the forbidden scroll he had instructed the boy to retrieve contained some of the most dangerous jutsus in the village and the boy was going to bring it right to him. He patted himself on the back for the fine acting job he had done since he first became an assistant teacher at the academy. Everything he had done was so that he could gain the boy's trust and it has lead up to tonight, where he would take the forbidden scroll for himself and leave this worthless village with all the power it contained. Knocking back another shot, he grinned as all his effort was now bearing fruit. Now he was just waiting for the right time to enact the next part of his plan.

"It seems you are having a very pleasant evening, Mister Ninja."

Mizuki calmly but quickly turned to his right to find a man who seemed to have come up and sat down beside him some time during his drinking. The man was wearing a large grey trench coat with large buttons along the front right side. The long sleeves were cuffed and secured with two large buttons similar to what kept the coat closed at the front. Under the coat was a brown vest closed with several large buckles and a dirty white shirt under the vest. His legs were covered in grey pants with a pair of thigh high leather boots on his feet. His hands were covered in dark leather gloves that completely hid his skin from view. The lower half of his face was covered in a black mask that stopped just below his eyes, which wear covered by a pair of black round shades. The top of his head was covered by a large brimmed hat with the sides and back buttoned to the head and had a low crown. Overall, the man was oddly dressed for the current location.

The coated man turned to regard Mizuki and spoke in a conversational tone. "Is there any special reason for your high spirit tonight?

"I have my reasons." Mizuki said as he took his sake saucer and tipped it back, letting the alcohol burn his throat on the way down. "But I wish to keep them for myself if you don't mind." He finished when he could breathe again.

"Fair enough, I will not pry if you wish it."

Mizuki eyed the man curiously. "Who exactly are you, mister? Haven't seen you or your style of dress around here."

"Me? I'm just a simple traveler from faraway lands, here to see and sample these lands commodities. I must say that your…sake is quite enjoyable."

"Yeah, well, _'Firebrand Sake'_ is a Konoha specialty. You'll rarely find this vintage anywhere else." Mizuki commented as he poured himself another saucer full and downed it. If there were something he could honestly say he was going to miss about Konoha, it would be the sake.

The man eyed the saucer of alcohol as the ninja beside him drank the liquid before turning away as Mizuki finished swallowing. "Indeed. I may have to procure myself a few bottles before I leave this village."

"You do that." Mizuki commented as he glanced at the wall and saw that it was almost time to enact his plan. Quickly finishing off the sake, he threw some ryo on the bar and started to leave. "Well, I have places to be so good luck on your travels." And with that, Mizuki left the bar and headed towards the Hokage Tower in order to 'report' the theft of the forbidden scroll.

The coated man watched the ninja leave before he reached into his coat and pulled out a small glass vial containing some black liquid. The man chuckled as he thumbed the vial. "Oh, mister ninja, I'm afraid that tonight will likely be your last night in this world. I am so looking forward to seeing the results." The man said as he pocketed the vial and remembered how the ninja had completely missed the sleight of hand he had done with the sake bottle while the ninja wasn't looking.

\- Forest Outside of Konoha – Three Hours Later –

" _Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_

 _*Poof!*_

Naruto panted as he looked up to see the results of the latest attempt to learn one of the jutsus he found in the forbidden scroll. Just as Mizuki had instructed, he had snuck into the Hokage Tower at nightfall and located the scroll secured in a locked cabinet. A quick lock picking later and he was in route to the meeting place with the large scroll on his back. Making it to the abandoned shack in the forest outside the village walls, he immediately started to learn the jutsus in the scroll. It was to his irritation that the first jutsu he came upon was a clone jutsu, but after reading through the scroll, he realized that it was the only one that he could possibly do since he was just an academy student and didn't understand the mechanics involved in performing any of the others. So he begrudgingly started working on the accursed jutsu that was the bane of his existence and after an hour of trying, he finally saw the result he was looking for. For there, standing before him, were twenty perfect copies of himself. The boy took a moment to fully register exactly what he had done before a large grin spread across his face before he jumped and cheered.

"I DID IT!"

"Yeah!" All of the clones shouted as they cheered alongside their creator. Naruto continued to jump up and down before he suddenly got dizzy from overexertion since he used up a lot of his strength in trying to perform the jutsu for an hour. He wobbled and started to fall forward before one of the clones ran up and caught him.

"Woah, careful boss."

"Ah, Thanks." Naruto said as the clone helped him stand again. "Huh?" The boy suddenly realized something as he turned to the clone and patted its chest with hiss palm. Normally a clone was simply an illusion without substance, only used to confuse opponents and give the user a chance to either strike or run away. But these clones were all solid!

"Woah! You guys are real! Awesome!"

The clones all grinned while Naruto continued to cheer and proclaim just how awesome he and this new jutsu were. Finally, after about ten minutes of celebrating, the clones dismissed themselves and Naruto sat down to recover his strength as he waited for Mizuki to show up. After another fifteen minutes, someone did show up, but it wasn't Mizuki.

"I…I found you...Naruto!"

The boy looked up to see his teacher, Iruka, looking a little winded as he glared down at his student. Naruto reached behind his head and scratched it as he sheepishly grinned as he chuckled nervously.

"Ah, caught me already, huh Iruka-sensei. You're pretty quick. I only had time to learn one jutsu."

Iruka studied the boy for a moment as saw that he had been doing some intense training while he was here. Honestly, he was feeling a bit prod of the boy.

"But listen, Iruka-sensei, I'm going to show you this awesome jutsu and then you'll let me graduate. That's how the test works, right?"

"Huh? What test are you talking about?" Iruka asked, clearly confused.

"The test where I retrieve this scroll and make my way here, then learn one of them and then show it to you guys. Mizuki told me about it. He said if I passes the test, then I can become a ninja. Isn't that how it…goes?" Naruto trailed off as he noticed the expression on Iruka's face.

Iruka stood there in slight shock as he suddenly realized something. Mizuki had been the one that had raised the alarm about Naruto steaking the forbidden scroll. If he had been the one to tell Naruto about where the scroll was located and how to get it, then…

Just as he had connected the dots, Iruka heard the distinct sound of kunai cutting through the air and turned to see a hail of the blades flying towards them.

"Naruto! Look out!" Iruka shouted as he pushed the boy out of the way and braced himself for impact. Naruto fell to the ground and looked up to see his teacher get impaled by a few of the kunai. Iruka grunted in pain as he glared up into the trees to see his assailant.

"So it really was you, Mizuki."

Mizuki was kneeling down on a large branch, wearing his standard chunin clothing plus a cloth cap with the leaf headband attached to the front. He had a pair of giant shurikens attached to his back as well.

"Naruto, give me the scroll." Mizuki demanded of the orange wearing blonde.

"Wait a minute. What's going on here?" Naruto asked, clearly confused by this turn of events.

Iruka yanked a kunai out of his leg and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto, don't give him he scroll! He tricked you into stealing it for him so he can use its power for his own purposes."

Naruto glared at the assistant instructor for deceiving him. But Mizuki casually turned to the boy.

"Naruto, Iruka is just saying that because he doesn't want you to pass."

"Don't listen to him Naruto, he's trying to deceive you!"

"Oh, I'll tell you who has been deceiving you. You've been deceived your entire life."

"No, Mizuki!"

"They have been lying to your face for twelve years, Naruto, ever since the decree was made."

"Wha…what decree?" Naruto asked, completely confused and slightly apprehensive.

"Everyone knows about it except you. Even now, Iruka would do anything to stop me from telling."

"Don't do it!"

"What Decree? What does everyone know except for me?"

"The decree that the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is sealed inside you."

Naruto's eyes widened. He held the Nine-Tails?

"The spirit of the Nine-Tails that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You ARE the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, frustrated that he couldn't keep such sensitive and dangerous knowledge from the boy.

Naruto was in compete shock. Suddenly everything made sense to him. The hateful glares, the abuse, the unfair treatment, the shop owners denying him access to provisions, and even the instructors sabotaging his education. It all made sense now.

"That's why this village will never accept you! Even Iruka hates you." Mizuki stated as he reached behind his back, took one of the giant shuriken, and started spinning it at a high rate. "Now die, Naruto!" Mizuki threw the shuriken and it cut through the air like a buzz saw. Naruto snapped out of his shock but was too slow to dodge the giant shuriken as it sped towards him. Just as he thought he was going to be sliced in half, a large form suddenly jumped between him and the shuriken.

 _*Shrick!*_

The boy stared at Iruka in shock as the instructor leaned over his form with the giant shuriken stuck through the flak jacket from behind. The teacher cough up a bit of blood as the blade had penetrated the armor enough to cut deep into his back.

"…Why? Why, Iruka, sensei?"

"Because…you and I…are the same, Naruto. I was an orphan too. When I lost my parents, nobody seemed to care…They were all too busy…to notice me…and I felt like I had been forgotten. My grades plummeted…and I started acting out and became the class clown. I did things to get noticed, and then I had to pay for them…it was hard. I know that is how you feel, Naruto. You feel lonely and it hurts. And I…I could have been there more for you. I…let you down, Naruto. I'm sorry. No one should be forced to be alone and suffer like that."

Mizuki chuckled and not wanting Naruto to focus, decided to mess with his head a little bit more.

"Don't make me laugh! Iruka always hated you. He was orphaned because the Nine-Tails killed his parents, and now the fox is inside you. He's just trying to get the scroll away from you."

Naruto was still very confused, and decided that he needed to get as far away from the two as possible. So he immediately sprinted away, hoping to outrun the two chunin.

"Naruto. Narutooooo!" Iruka cried out to the fleeing boy as he disappeared into the dense foliage. He felt like he had just failed the boy, and was powerless to do anything to help him.

Mizuki laughed as he landed on the ground near the wounded teacher. "You know that once he makes up his mind, nothing can change it. He's going to use the scroll to get revenge on the village. You saw the look in his eyes, didn't you? Those were the eyes of a demon."

Iruka reached behind him and pulled the giant shuriken from his back before he stood up on wobbly legs.

"Naruto…is not…a DEMON!" Iruka shouted as he turned and threw the shuriken back at Mizuki. The chunin simply leaned to the side a let the weapon sail past him and into the forest.

"You're a joke, Iruka. A soon as I deal with Naruto and get the scroll, I'll be back for you." Mizuki then jumped into the trees and began his chase while Iruka struggled to remain standing. He refused to allow Mizuki to hurt the boy. He just hoped that he would be quick enough to stop him.

\- Hokage Tower –

Hiruzen was sitting in his chair with his hands hovering over a clear crystal ball sitting on his desk. During his little chat with Aurora, one of his shinobi barged and reported to him that Naruto had stolen the Forbidden Scroll. The Hokage immediately order a search and retrieval of the boy and the scroll, went back to his desk to retrieve the crystal ball, and started to use it to locate the boy training with the scroll in question. He was looking at an image of Naruto as the boy sped through the forest canopy. The Hokage had seen and heard everything that had transpired when Iruka arrived at the clearing and he frowned at the result of the traitorous chunin when he blatantly told Naruto the truth about the Nine-Tails.

""That Mizuki has a big mouth. He made Naruto so confused that he doesn't know whom to trust. What's more, Naruto is very distraught from the truth, that he could do something foolish, and inadvertently release the Nine-Tails. If Naruto keeps tampering with the scroll, it could bring disaster to us all."

"I'm very surprised with you, Hiruzen. I thought you would have more faith in Naruto than this."

Hiruzen looked up and over at Aurora who was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the desk, watching the crystal ball along with the Hokage. The woman had the hood of her cloak down, revealing her long platinum hair that flowed down the back of her neck and disappeared back under the cloak. The old Hokage raised an eyebrow as he regarded the smiling woman.

"You seem to be taking this situation rather calmly, my dear. As protective as you are of the child, I'm a little surprised that you are still sitting there when you could be saving him. With your powers it would be a very simple matter."

Aurora giggled into her hand and looked back at the crystal. "Oh, I am perfectly aware that I could stop this entire fiasco any time I wished, but that would not allow Naruto to grow stronger if I fought his battles. Don't worry, if he gets too far in over his head, I'll step in. Now, let's get back to watching, I think that things are about to get interesting."

Hiruzen just nodded before he turned back to the crystal ball, anxious to see how this play out.

\- With Naruto –

Naruto was still running at full speed when Iruka suddenly burst through the canopy and started keeping pace with the boy.

"Naruto, listen to me. Everything that Mizuki said was a lie. You need to give me the scroll and quickly. He's coming after you right now."

Naruto suddenly changed directions and proceeded to body slam the chunin instructor, sending them both to the ground below. Iruka landed on the ground harshly and rolled a few times before stopping while Naruto skid to a stop on his feet, panting heavily.

Iruka groaned as he struggled to lift himself up off the ground while Naruto pulled the forbidden scroll off his back and leaned up against a tree.

"How, Naruto…" Iruka said a she turned and glared at the boy. "How did you know…" Iruka suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke and Mizuki appeared in his spot. "…that is was me and not Iruka?"

Naruto chuckled before he himself went up in smoke and revealed Iruka, and the scroll was actually a log. "Because I'm Iruka."

"Humph." Mizuki grunted as he stood up. "Why are you defending that freak? He's the one who wiped out your entire family."

"I don't care what you say; you're not getting your hands on that scroll."

Meanwhile, Naruto was hiding behind a nearby tree, listening in on their conversation with the scroll clutched to his chest.

"As if you could stop me." Mizuki continued as he taunted the weakened Iruka. "Don't you get it, Naruto is just like me. He's going to use the scroll for his own power and gain and use it for vengeance. That is how beasts are. He will pour all of his rage into the scroll and destroy the village." Iruka was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"You're right."

Naruto gasped as he clutched the scroll harder, having heard Iruka's admission.

' _So, Iruka does hate me. He thinks that I'm some kind of freak.'_

"That is how beasts are…but that is not what Naruto is."

Naruto's eyes widened while Mizuki looked at Iruka as if he had just said something that was absolutely ridiculous. Iruka just continued.

"Naruto works hard and puts his all into whatever he does. Sure, he might mess up some times, and everyone jumps on him, but all his suffering only makes him stronger. And that is what separates him from the beast. He is nothing like the Nine-Tails. He is Naruto Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Naruto was silently crying, hearing that someone out there finally believed in him like his teacher did. He had finally found someone who recognized him as a person, rather than a thing.

Mizuki growled as he glared at Iruka and reached back to take the last giant shuriken from his back. "You really believe that? Fine. I was going to kill you later, but I might as well do it now." Mizuki spun the shuriken and dashed straight at Iruka, ready to end his life. Iruka just lowered his head and prepared himself for death.

' _So, this is it…'_

In the next instant, a blur shot out of the forest and Mizuki grunted as Naruto came in and flying kneed the chunin right in the chin, sending the assistant flying back and the shuriken flying off into the forest. Mizuki landed harshly on the ground while Naruto came to a skidding stop.

' _Naruto!'_ Iruka thought, surprised to see the boy coming to his rescue.

Naruto slammed the scroll on the ground on one of its ends and glared at the downed traitor.

"If you hurt my sensei again…I'll kill you!"

"Big words for a little brat." Mizuki said as he got back up. "I could completely annihilate you in one move!"

Naruto put his fingers in a cross sign and readied his technique. "Take your best shot. I'll give it back a hundred fold."

"Bring it, Nine-Tails!"

" _Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_

 _*POOF!*_

Iruka's eyes widened as he witnessed something that he would remember for the rest of his life. The whole clearing they were in was not littered top to bottom with over a hundred copies of Naruto, and they were all ready to bring a severe beat down on the traitor.

' _Naruto…Those are all solid clones. He has mastered an extremely difficult jutsu.'_ Iruka thought as he grinned in pride over the boy's accomplishment.

Meanwhile, Mizuki couldn't believe what he was seeing as he looked around at the literal army of clones surrounding him. The poor chunin fell back as his body was not working properly due to the shock.

"If you're not coming over here to fight…" One clone spoke and another clone continued. "Then we'll just have to bring the fight to you."

Mizuki couldn't say a thing as he realized that he was about to be on the receiving end of a severe ass kicking. As the horde of clones descended upon him, Mizuki screamed to the heavens until it was drowned out by the sound of fists impacting flesh.

\- One One-sided Beat Down Later –

Mizuki lay on the forest floor with his face completely swollen and bloody thanks to Naruto and a hundred clones. Said blonde was standing over him scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously.

"Sorry, I kind of got carried away, there. Are you alright, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka grunted as he got into a sitting position. "Yeah, I'm alright." _'Incredible. Naruto said that he wanted to surpass all the Hokage before him, and I'm starting to think he can do it.'_ Iruka thought as he came to a decision. "Naruto, come here for a second."

"Huh? Sure thing, Iruka-sensei." Naruto said as he walked up to his teacher.

"Close your eyes." Iruka instructed as Naruto did as he was told. He felt his goggles pulled off his head and a second later, something else put in their place. "Okay, you can open your eyes again."

Naruto opened his eyes to see Iruka standing there with the boy's goggles in hand and his leaf headband missing.

"Congratulations, Naruto. You passed."

Naruto stood dumbfounded as he now wore Iruka's headband.

"And to celebrate, we're going out for ramen tonight."

Naruto's mouth moved as he tried to control his emotions until he couldn't hold it anymore and lunged at his teacher.

"Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto tackled Iruka in a hug and they both fell back against the tree, laughing away as the horizon began to light up.

However, their celebration was short lived as Mizuki's unconscious body suddenly started to convulse violently before his eyes shot open and a loud gasp escaped him. The man's eyes had suddenly changed to show his sclera had turned pitch-black while his pupils turned solid blood red.

"GRUUUUAHHHHHHHHG!"

Both Naruto and Iruka turned quickly at the sound as they watched Mizuki continue to spasm violently on the ground before it started to grow and change. His arms and legs elongated and grew claws as his torso expanded, ripping his clothing away as the skin turned grey. His back bulged up into a hump and his neck elongated like his limbs. His face became long and his hair turned white and grew out into messy mane. Finally, his teeth became razor sharp and he let out an inhuman roar.

" _ **GROAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"**_

"What the hell!?" Naruto shouted as he watched the traitor turn into a monster.

"What's going on here?" Iruka asked, stunned at the sudden and unexpected event.

\- Hokage Tower-

"What in the name of Kami is that!?" Hiruzen shouted as he beheld the former human turned monster as he stood upon its long, lanky legs. He was just about to order the retrieval team in to bring everyone in safely when Mizuki suddenly and unexpectedly transformed. The Hokage stared at the abomination until he noticed Aurora stand up and walking to the center of the room, her staff in hand. She turned back to the old man and for the first time saw and expression on the woman's face he had never seen before. She had lost her smile and instead was completely focused.

"I'm going." Was all she said and tapped her staff against the floor twice. The floor lit up as a large circle suddenly formed under her and several intricate lines and symbols appeared within it. Once the circle was complete, the woman was enveloped in a pillar of light and completely vanished. Now alone, the Hokage turned back to the ball and watched as the creature advanced on the boy and his teacher. He could only pray that Aurora was quick enough to help them.

\- With Naruto and Iruka –

" _ **GROOOOOAAHHHH!"**_ The monster roared as it raised its clawed hand to deliver a bone-crushing blow to its two victims.

"Naruto, get away!" Iruka shouted as he pushed his student aside and lunged at the monster as he pulled a kunai from its holster. He tried to strike down the beast but was swatted aside by the creatures long and powerful arm. Iruka tumbled along the ground before he came to a stop and coughed a few times. The blow had broken a few of his ribs and he could no longer find the strength to stand.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted before he turned and glared at the monster as he brought his hands back up to a cross sigh.

" _Multi-Shadow Clone Jut-_ Gack!" Naruto began to cast his new jutsu again but a long clawed and wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Naruto chocked as he clawed at the hand holding him up but could do nothing as the creature brought his face closer to his razor sharp teeth. Naruto could do nothing as the beast opened its mouth wide to bite into the boy.

' _No, it can't end like this, not when I just became a ninja!'_ Naruto clinched his eyes shut and a lone tear fell from his eye. But just as the monster went for the kill, a ball of light suddenly slammed into its side, sending it flying through a nearby tree and slamming painfully against a large boulder. Naruto dropped down on the ground since the beast lost its gripped when it was hit. The boy gripped his throat as he coughed a few times before looking up to see his savior. Imagine his surprise when he saw the very same woman that had spoken to him earlier that day walking up to him with her hood down, carrying a long white staff with a glowing crystal on the end pointing at where the monster had been knocked away.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Aurora asked as she stopped beside the boy.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Naruto replied as he stood on shaky legs. Before anything else could be said, the creature got back up on its feet and growled at the one who kept it from its kill. The beast roared as it charged the woman, intending to take its pound of flesh and then some from the interloper. Aurora waved her staff around and the crystal glowed brighter. Just as the beast lunged, it was enveloped in a blueish aura and found itself suspended over the ground. It thrashed around to try to free itself but nothing it did aided him. Aurora glared at the creature before swinging her staff towards a nearby tree and the beast followed the staff, slamming into the tree hard and momentarily stunning it. Aurora then tapped her staff against the ground where a small green circle appeared under it. Another, larger circle appeared below the monster and several roots sprang up around the beast and wrapped themselves around it. The creature roared and fought against the bindings but could not break the roots that held it. Aurora then lifted her hand and pointed her palm towards the monster and a ball of fire erupted from her hand.

"Go to hell, you monster." Aurora coldly stated as the ball of fire shot from her hand and slammed into the creature, engulfing it in fire. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech as it burned away and before long was nothing but a pile of ash and a black mark against the tree.

Aurora huffed at the remains before relaxing and looked back at the young boy standing beside her, who was staring at the woman in wide-eyed wonder.

"Whoa…." Was all Naruto could say at the amazing display.

Aurora smiled at the boy, but when they heard a groan coming from the downed teacher, they both immediately rushed over to tend to him.

"Iruka-sensei." Naruto reached his teacher and dropped to his knees beside the injured man. "Ah man, we got to get him to the hospital."

"That will not be necessary." Aurora said as she knelt down beside Iruka. She placed her hand against the man and seconds later, his body was enveloped in a light green aura. Naruto watched in wonder as Iruka stopped groaning and all his visible injuries disappeared. Iruka opened his eyes, surprised that the pain from his chest vanished and he started feeling much better. A few seconds later, Iruka stopped glowing and was able to sit up. The man blinked a couple of times before he looked himself over, see that all of the injuries he had sustained over the night were all gone.

"I'm….healed? How?"

"Magic, of course."

Iruka and Naruto turned to the woman and both blinked. "Magic?"

"That's right. Magic is my specialty, after all."

"Who are you, miss?" Iruka asked, quite curios about who the woman was.

"Oh my, how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself. Well then, allow me to properly do so. My name is Aurora, but I am also known as 'Aurora the White Sorceress'."

"Sorceress?" Naruto and Iruka asked.

"Yes, I am a sorceress, a woman who can perform magic. Now, I'm sure you have many questions but I believe that this conversation needs to be held in a better location and including someone who would like to see the two of you. So, let us depart shall we?" Aurora suggested as she pointed her staff towards the Forbidden Scroll that lay on the ground nearby. The scroll glowed a brief moment before it floated off the ground and over to the group. Before Naruto or Iruka could remark on the ability, Aurora tapped her staff twice on the ground and a large white circle appeared below them. A few seconds later, the three people and one scroll vanished in pillar of light and the forest was calm again. Nobody had noticed a shadow hiding behind a tree nearby who had witnessed the entire battle from start to finish.

"Hmm, how disappointing. He was destroyed so quickly I wasn't able to gather as much data as I wanted. Oh well, his reaction to the blood was promising." The coated man said as he turned around and casually walked away from the scene, all the while whistling a slow tune.

\- To Be Continued –

{Author's Notes}

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Why oh why is he starting yet another story when he hasn't updated the ones he's got in months, right? Well, I'll tell you this. My muse is one fickle bitch! I cannot get into a story unless I have something in my head that just keeps my imagination going on all cylinders, and even then, it has nasty habit of stalling out. I'd be able to sit here and write something for a good bit and suddenly, I'd lose my motivation and would not be able to get it back. This is mostly due to me hitting roadblocks in the story where I would have to figure out how to blend the crossover elements together where they would flow naturally through the story. This can be a challenge sometimes. So, to my loyal readers, please just be patient with my while I try to overcome these problems and wait for the updates which I promise will happen…eventually.

Now then, about this piece of work. You will notice that is in fact _not_ a crossover and is instead my first original story set in the Narutoverse. This one is a story that combines Ninjas and sorcery together in what I hope will be an exciting and fan piece of literature that will keep you coming back for more. The first chapter includes a prequel that explains a bit about how the story will progress. We see that there has been some events during the pre-shinobi era where Magic and sorcery where the tools used instead of jutsus. Now, this is not based on any anime or movie and is instead something I created from several sources and knowledge of fantasy magic in general. So expect a lot of twists and turns in this story as the past begins to catch up with the present and all new troubles effect the Naruto world.

Now, I'd like to tell you all that for this story, I will be open to suggestions and ideas that you, the readers, would like to contribute. So, if you have an idea about a creature, spell, situation, or just a general idea that you might think is good, let me know in either the review section or through PM's and if I like the idea, we will discuss it in detail and I will incorporate it into the story, while giving you credit for it of course. Just remember that I am the author and I do have final say over what goes into the story and how it ultimately plays out in accordance to the plot.

By the way, I challenge anyone to figure out what Mizuki got turned into. I'll give you guys a hint; they eat the corpses of the dead.

I'm going to label this one as T for teen for now until I get further into the story and start getting into the really dark part of the story. After that, expect a lot of blood, gore and nightmarish creatures and an M rating. As for the pairings, well, if you haven't noticed, I am a harem writer so….yeah.

Anyways, in the next chapter we will see exactly who Aurora is and what her connection to Naruto is. He also gets started on the path to being a shinobi sorcerer.

Peace.

(Post-Script: Broke up the summary so that it will be easier to read. Sorry about that, guys.)


	2. Family Affairs

Chapter 2: Family Affairs

Hiruzen sighed as he awaited the arrival of Naruto, Iruka and Aurora from within the Hokage Office overlooking the village of Konoha. He had just witnessed the bizarre transformation of the traitorous chunin Mizuki and his total destruction at the hands of the sorceress who had appeared before him not but an hour ago. She was someone who, while aware existed, completely confounded the old Kage with her powers and abilities that seemed to go beyond that of even the strongest of shinobi. Hiruzen had been known by many names throughout his time as Hokage, 'The God of Shinobi', 'The Professor', and even his less popular but still accurate title, 'Monkey', due to his proficiency with bojutsu and his contract with the monkey summoning clan. Still, despite the man having mastered every non-bloodline related jutsu in Konoha, and leading his village to victory in three shinobi world wars, witnessing a person with the ability to control the elements as well as the ability to teleport people and objects over long distances with just a thought, had really thrown the old man for a loop. Hiruzen had always believed that only chakra had the power to achieve such things, and only through special requirements and circumstances. To see these people, these sorceresses, do this without the use of hand signs and chakra, well, frankly scared him. It made him wonder just what else was out there that he had no idea existed but had the power to harm his people. Fortunately, it seemed that the sorceresses were a friendly group and could be reasoned with, which was something the old Kage was thankful for; otherwise, things could have ended very badly for him and the village twelve years ago.

Ah well, enough worrying about the past and what could have been. There were present matters to deal with.

The talk he had with the sorceress before her sudden departure had Hiruzen a bit worried, especially with what Aurora had told him exactly what her intentions are.

\- Flashback – Half an hour ago –

"You're going to WHAT!?" Hiruzen shouted after Aurora made her intentions known.

"I do believe you heard me the first time, Hiruzen. I do not feel the need to repeat myself." Aurora responded, completely straight-faced and absolutely serious.

Hiruzen stared slack jawed at the woman for a moment before fixing her with a serious look. "You do realize why we have kept everything a secret from him for so long, Lady Aurora."

Aurora nodded. "I am aware, Hiruzen, and I feel that he has matured enough to where he can handle it."

Hiruzen stared at the woman for a few seconds before he let out a sigh of defeat. "Very well, as it is your legal right, I cannot stop you. However, you do realize that he will be very upset, with the both of us. Not to mention how the council could react if word gets out."

"Yes, that is the most likely reaction, but Naruto is a strong boy, both mentally and physically. He will understand given time. As for your council, the civilians are all bigots, so they will not change their opinion of him, even if it was announced that he was of royal decent. The shinobi are only concerned with their own interests and affairs, and the elders are just a bunch of old windbags." Aurora finished with a smirk.

"And just what exactly does that make me, my lady?" Hiruzen challenged with a stare.

"You, Lord Hokage, would be an _honorable_ old windbag." Aurora answered without missing a beat, the smirk still present on her face.

The two silently stared at each other for a brief moment before they laughed at the banter. When the laughter died down, Aurora pointed her staff towards the nearby crystal ball that the Hokage used to watch things around the village from within the Hokage Tower.

"Now, shall we see what young Naruto is up too?" Aurora asked as the ball levitated into the air and floated towards the table they were sitting at.

"It still amazes me that you are able to do these things." Hiruzen commented as the ball floated down gently onto a red pillow in the center of the table.

Aurora waved the staff and the ball lit up as the image of the village appeared before it started zooming in on the forest outside the walls. "It does come in handy quite often. Now then, shall we watch?" The sorceress asked as the image settled on Naruto just as Iruka arrived on the scene to confront the boy.

\- Flashback End –

' _I just hope you know what you are doing, Lady Aurora. If things go badly then we could lose the boy's trust completely.'_ Hiruzen thought as he slowly drew on his smoking pipe, allowing the taste of the tobacco to calm his nerves. Just as he let out a large puff of smoke, the office lit up in a white light as a circle appeared on the floor and in a flash, the room suddenly had three more occupants inside it.

Naruto and Iruka blinked a couple of times as they tried to get rid of the spots in their vision before looking around while Aurora simply kept the pleasant smile on her face as she approached the village leader.

"I have returned, Lord Hokage. Naruto and your shinobi instructor are safe and the scroll is retrieved. All is well."

The Hokage nodded his head. "Thank you, Lady Aurora, for your assistance. Your timely intervention has ensured the safety of not only my men but also the village itself. You have my gratitude."

Aurora nodded just as Naruto and Iruka came to their senses and realized where exactly where they were.

"We…we're back in the Hokage Tower? How?" Iruka asked in bewilderment as he looked at the woman who had saved his and Naruto's life not but a few minutes ago.

Aurora's smile turned a bit mischievous as she turned to the instructor. "Magic, of course. Didn't I already tell you that I was a sorceress? Something as simple as a Spell of Teleportation is mere child's play for someone like me."

Iruka stood their flabbergasted as his mind tried to comprehend what had witnessed. Naruto, however, was not focusing so much on how the woman did what she did, but just how impressive it was to him.

"Wow! That was so cool! You just got us from the forest outside the village all the way to the Hokage Tower in an instant! You're awesome!"

Aurora giggled into her hand at the boy's praise before she turned back to the Hokage. "Now then, Lord Hokage, I believe you have some business with these two?"

"You are quite right, Lady Aurora." Hiruzen answered as he looked upon the two males in the room with a serious expression. "Chunin Iruka Umino, I commend you for your actions this evening in helping to prevent a terrible tragedy from befalling on our village. Your quick thinking and keen tracking skills allowed you to locate Naruto before Mizuki could reach him and complete his plan to kill him and steal the forbidden scroll. Not only that, but you were able to look past Naruto's burden and see him for what he really is, and by openly accepting him you saved him from despair when Mizuki tried to use his emotions to influence him. Your actions last night will be noted in your record and you will be given recommendation accordingly. Well done."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Iruka said as he bowed deeply at the hips. Hiruzen nodded before he turned to the boy. "Naruto Uzumaki, while I am rather disappointed that you would use poor judgement when you stole the Forbidden Scroll from its storage, I do not fault you since you were following the orders of someone who, as an educator, is trusted by his students. Therefore, you shall not be punished for your part in the scrolls theft. I also commend you for your actions in taking down a traitor and preventing the scroll from falling into the wrong hands. You were also able to learn a very powerful and difficult jutsu that even many jonin rank shinobi would be unable to perform, and you were able to do so in a very short amount of time. You have shown that you have great potential as a shinobi and the determination to succeed. Therefore, I will honor Iruka's decision to allow you to graduate under special circumstance and proudly welcome you to the force under my command as a shinobi of Konoha. Congratulations."

Naruto stood there wide-eyed as he took it all in before a huge grin lit up his face and the boy started jumping around shouting to the heavens.

"Yeah! I Did It! Woohoo! Alright!"

The adults watched the boy jump around with proud smiles on their faces and silently waited until he got it all out of his system. When Naruto finally calmed down, though you couldn't wipe the million-watt smile on his face away, Hiruzen continued to address his now two shinobi.

"Now then, since you two have succeeded in stopping a traitor and retrieved the scroll, I will count it as a completed 'A' ranked mission, which will go on your records and you two will receive payment for said rank. Once more, congratulations."

Iruka and Naruto nodded in acceptance. Hiruzen then turned his attention to the scroll in question that had been left on the floor after the teleportation spell brought everyone there.

"Now then, Iruka, I would like to ask that you take the scroll back to its proper storage and then get checked in with the medics to make sure that your injuries were all fully healed. I do not doubt Lady Aurora's healing abilities but it never hurts to be sure. After you are cleared, you may return home. I'm sure that you are quite tired after last night's endeavor."

"Yes sir, Lord Hokage." Iruka answered as he retrieved the scroll from the floor and then walked out of the office. With Iruka gone, Hiruzen made a few hand signs before tapping a spot on the desk, making a hidden seal light up just as the walls shimmered with light before returning to normal. He then turned to Naruto with a serious but somewhat nervous look on his face.

"Naruto, I need you to remain here. There is something that the three of us need to talk about."

Naruto looked at the two adults in confusion. "Um, what do you want to talk about?"

Aurora was about to start speaking but Hiruzen spoke up. "Lady Aurora, if you would, I would like to begin the explanation."

Aurora turned to give Hiruzen a surprised look. "That is rather generous of you, Hiruzen. I was under the assumption that you did not wish to divulge such knowledge."

Hiruzen nodded. "It was never my intention to keep such information from him indefinitely; however, I was waiting until he reached the point where he could protect himself when the knowledge became public. But since you are going to reveal it to him now, the point has become moot. Although, since you are here, he will have a better chance of surviving. And as both his leader and caretaker, it is my duty to at least explain to him everything in which I am obligated. Once I have done so, you may pick up where I leave off and explain to him your part in this."

Aurora thought about it for a moment and saw that his argument was valid. With a nod of her head, the sorceress stepped aside and allowed the aged leader to begin his explanation.

Hiruzen then turned back to the confused boy standing before him, cleared his throat, and took a deep breathe before starting.

"Now then, Naruto, you have once asked me if I knew the identity of your parents, correct?"

Naruto nodded, remembering when he had asked that particular question.

"At the time, I had told you that I had very limited knowledge of your parents and as far as I knew, they were both members of the village, and that they had both died during the nine-tails attack. The truth is, Naruto, I knew your parents quite well, but was forced to keep it a secret from everyone, including yourself, for your protection. Your parents had many enemies and the knowledge that they had an offspring would have had them pounding in our doorstep just for a chance to kill you."

Naruto stood there wide-eyed as he took the information in. After a few seconds he spoke. "You…knew my parents?" He asked tentatively. Hiruzen nodded and Naruto quickly ran up to the desk and leaned over it with a desperate look on his face. "Tell me…please, tell me who they are."

Hiruzen took another breathe to calm himself and spoke. "Allow me to begin with your father, Naruto. He was one of the most powerful shinobi produced by this village and was one, if not the, deciding factor in the Third Shinobi World War. His battle prowess and knowledge of fuinjutsu made him legendary in all of the Elemental Nations. He had gone by many names; his most well-known was his moniker 'The Yellow Flash.'"

Naruto went ramrod straight. He knew that name very well since it was the name his hero was most known by.

"You…you mean…"

"Yes, Naruto. Your father was Minato Namikaze, the Forth Hokage himself."

An image of a man with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a jonin flak jacket under a sleeveless white coat with the kanji for fourth written on the back appeared in the mind of the stunned boy. The Forth Hokage, the man he admired more than anyone, the man he hoped to one day surpass, was his own father. A part of him was surprised that he wasn't in more shock than he was at this revelation. But another part of him wasn't surprised by this. It was as if, deep down inside of himself, he already knew. It just never spoke up until now. Then he thought about what Mizuki said about the forth not able to destroy the Nine-Tails but sealed it up inside him. So he asked.

"Old Man Hokage, if my father was the one who sealed the fox inside me, then did that mean he knew who I was?"

Hiruzen nodded his head. "Your father knew that he could not defeat the fox by any conventional means, and he also knew the price he had to pay in order to achieve victory. Your father made the difficult choice to save the people of the village by sealing the fox in a newborn, and could you honestly say that he would willingly choose a random child and take him away from his parents to carry such a burden? Minato could only place that trust in his own child, because he believed in your strength, Naruto, just as I believe in it."

Naruto stood silent as he reflected on the Hokage's words and after a minute, he looked up at the picture of the fourth hanging on the wall above the Hokage's desk. It hurt to know that his own father had made the choice that condemned him to a lifetime of suffering, but he felt proud that his father had placed so much trust in him. Letting out a large sigh, he turned back to the village leader.

"What about my mother?"

Hiruzen straightened himself up as he prepared himself for this part of the explanation. His father had been the easy part, now came the more complicated part.

"Your mother was someone who was also a very strong member of the shinobi corp. Her skill in kenjutsu and bojutsu had earned her fear and notoriety amongst our enemies in the third war and she gained well-known monikers just as your father did. She was known as 'The Red Death' and 'Blade of the Whirlpool'. She was even known locally as 'The Hot-Blooded Habanero' due to her temperament. If you wanted to know where you got most of your personality, then look no further than your mother, Naruto." Hiruzen finished with a smile while Aurora giggled into her hand. Seeing Naruto with a small smile of his own, he prepared himself for the most important part as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a photograph. "Her name was Kushina Uzumaki, the woman whom you have gained your surname." As he said this, he reached over the desk with the photo and handed it to the boy.

Naruto looked at the photo to see a woman with vibrant red hair tied up in a ponytail and blue eyes wearing a jonin flak jacket over black combat fatigue with the Konoha headband on her head. The boy stared at the picture feeling sadness and longing welling up inside him as a few tears rolled down his cheek while he gently stroked the image of his mother with his fingers.

' _Mother…'_ Naruto thought as he took a shuddering breathe from the emotions he was feeling, not only for his deceased mother, but for his father as well. Hiruzen clearing his throat brought his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Naruto, I understand that you are a little emotional right now but I need you to listen because this is the most important part of what we have to tell you. The whole reason why you are being informed of all this now rather than later is because there is much more to your mother than being a notorious kunoichi of the leaf."

With that, the old Hokage turned and nodded to the sorceress who had remained silent throughout the entire time. She returned the nod and moved over to take Naruto's hand.

"Come over here or a moment, Naruto." She told him as she pulled him over to the couch that sat to the side of the office. After she had Naruto sit down, she walked in front of him and knelt down so that she was eye level with him.

"Naruto, what the Hokage said is true, there is much more to your mother then what most people know; in fact, only a handful of people still alive really knew who your mother was. She was indeed a kunoichi of the leaf, but she was also one of us. She was a sorceress, one of the 'Sisters of Alorra' whom I am a part of."

Naruto's eyes widened with surprise. This was something he was not expecting at all. Granted, he had never met a sorceress before today, even if he didn't fully understand what they were.

"To the people of this village, she was known as Kushina Uzumaki. Her real name, though, was Karoline, and she was my sister, Naruto. My sister in blood."

It took a moment for the gravity of what she said to sink it, but when it did, Naruto could only stare at the woman before him. After about three minutes of torturous silence, he finally spoke.

"You…you mean that…you and I are…"

"Yes, Naruto. We are family. You are my nephew."

If it weren't for the fact that he was already sitting down, Aurora was sure that Naruto would have fallen to the floor from the shock. As it was, all he was doing was staring at her with his mouth hanging open and his eyes as wide as saucers. Another torturous period of silence past before Naruto started speaking again.

"How…how long have you known that I was your nephew?"

Aurora closed her eyes. "Since the day you were born, Naruto."

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU COME TO SEE ME SOONER?!" Naruto yelled out, the years of hurt, sadness and frustration coming out in one big surge of emotion. "Why Did You Wait So Long To Tell Me That I Had Family?!" Tears were falling from his eyes as he sobbed. "Why did you leave me here like this? Did you not want me?"

Aurora immediately reached out and enveloped the boy in a bone-crushing hug, trying desperately to convey her feelings for her nephew. "Naruto, I wanted nothing more than to take you away from this place. To give you a home and show you the love you deserved. I wanted you to be a part of my family so badly." Tears fell from the sorceresses cheeks as she held the trembling boy in her arms. "But please understand; I had to leave you here. Your life would have been in grave danger if I had taken you with me." The woman tightened her grip on her nephew. "I am so sorry that I left you alone, Naruto. I may not have been there for you the first twelve years of your life, but I want to make it up to you by being here now. I want to help you grow into a strong young man, just like your parents would have done."

"I…I….I need some time to think. This…is all just too much."

Aurora pulled back and gave the boy a loving smile. "Of course, Naruto. Take all the time you need."

"…Thank you." Naruto said as he stood up and asked to be excused. Hiruzen gave his consent but not before he stresses the importance of keeping his parents identity a closely guarded secret. Nodding in understanding, the boy left the office. When the door closed, Aurora let out a shuddering sigh as she sunk down on the couch, her strength leaving her after the emotional strain.

"He actually took that better than I expected." Hiruzen said as he took a calming drag from his lit pipe.

Aurora said nothing as she stared at the door, grief written clearly on her face. Leaving him alone in this village had been the best option at the time, but that didn't mean she didn't feel saddened for doing it. Naruto had been forced to suffer so much in his youth, and she wanted so desperately to make it up to him. Looking down at the crystal hanging from her neck, the sorceress took hold of it with both of her hands and focused her thoughts through it.

The others needed to know about what happened here.

\- Streets of Konoha – Minutes later –

Naruto walked slowly through the streets of the thriving ninja village as he thought about everything he had just learned. Finding out who your parents were was something that any orphaned child wanted to know, even more to know that they were loved. To find out that your father was one of the leaders of the village was something he wouldn't have imagined. Although, every time he looked up at the Hokage Monument and gazed at the bust of the forth, he always seemed to have this feeling of familiarity grow inside him. Before today, had had just passed it off as admiration of the man, but now, it felt like he was looking at someone who was supposed to be close to him. It was the same feeling he got when he gazed at the picture of his mother…

…And it was the feeling he got when he first meet Aurora.

Perhaps it was the despondence he had felt yesterday that kept him from first noticing it, but now he could tell just by seeing her that they were connected someway, which was why he so readily believed her when she claimed to be his Aunt. Of course, this was the whole reason he was now feeling a little depressed as he walked down the street, ignoring the glares and sneers he was receiving from many of the civilians he passed by as he continued on, not really having any destination in mind.

' _Why now?'_ Naruto thought as he lowered his gaze to the ground. _'Why did she choose now of all times to see me? Why couldn't she have been there for me when I really needed it?'_ So lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone who was walking into his path until the two bumped into each other.

"Gah!"

"Kya!"

Staggering back from the sudden bump, Naruto looked up to see one of his very own classmates standing before him. The person in question was a young girl with long pink hair that flowed down her back with emerald green eyes. She wore a red one-piece dress that covered her from her shoulders down to her knees. The dress had two slits along the sides up to her hips to allow freedom of movement, but she didn't reveal anything daring since she also wore a pair of dark shorts under the dress. The girl was Sakura Haruno, Naruto's long time crush.

Sakura had been in Naruto's class since he first started the academy, and the boy developed a crush on her during the first year. However, Sakura hardly wanted anything to do with the boy, and would often criticize him and call him names, just like everyone else in class. When Naruto finally got up the nerve to ask him for a date, the girl responded by slamming her fist into the top of his head and telling him not to waste her time while she fawned over someone else. This didn't detour the boy and he had been asking her out every chance he could get, which always ended the same way all the way up to Sakura's graduation.

"Hey, who just bumped-" Sakura started to ask when she looked up and saw the person in question. As soon as she did, a frown marred her face. "Naruto, you idiot! Why don't you watch where you're going?"

Naruto blinked a couple of times before realization dawned on him. "Oh. Sorry, Sakura-chan, I wasn't paying much attention…"

Sakura was glaring at the boy for his carelessness when she noticed something. "Hey, what are you doing with a ninja headband, Naruto? Only those who graduated can have one and you failed the test." Sakura asked in a harsher than necessary voice.

Naruto blinked again before he reached up with his hand to his forehead and felt the cold metal of the headband. "…huh…I forgot that I was still wearing it…" Naruto said as he pulled the item off his head and gazed at in thought. "I, uh, managed to graduate after something went down last night and they let me pass. So, I'm a ninja now…yeah…" Naruto said, his tone completely lacking its usual exuberance.

Sakura found this really surprising, not only for Naruto to be allowed to graduate, but also for the fact that he is not jumping up and down shouting to the world about it like an idiot. In fact, seeing him like this was really unnatural for the blonde. For all his eccentrics, seeing him look so subdued, she found herself actually worrying over him.

"Naruto? Is everything alright with you?" Sakura asked feeling some actual concern for him.

"Huh?...Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine…I just…have a lot on my mind right now." As he spoke, he turned his head and looked up towards the Hokage Monument, more specifically, the bust of the forth. After staring at the face of his father for a few moments, Naruto turned back and reaffixed the headband to his forehead. "Anyways, sorry for bumping into you like that. I'll see you around, Sakura-chan." With that, Naruto resumed his walk with his hands in his pockets and his eyes back towards the ground, but not as much as before so he could see what's ahead of him.

Sakura stood there and watched him walk past her and down the street. She had never seen the blonde like this, even when he had failed the graduation exams in the past. Sure, the boy was saddened by his failures, something that anyone would feel after working so hard, but he still had the air of determination and drive that kept him going. This Naruto, though, looked so…unsure, and she surprisingly found herself staring at the blondes back as he vanished into the mid-morning crowd.

\- Ichiraku Ramen – Midday –

Naruto had spent the morning simply wandering around the village proper without any real destination in mind. He had once thought about just heading home, but the boy was just too restless to settle down, and it wasn't like there was anything waiting for him, so he just kept wandering. Eventually, his stomach decided to inform him that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday so he went straight for Ichiraku's to fill up. When he got there, he pushed away the curtains that hung at the entrance of his favorite ramen stand and entered. The place was currently vacant and the only sounds he could here was the light clattering of utensils on steel and the soft humming of a young woman, both things that Naruto was used to hearing in this humble establishment. As he sat himself down on one of the stools, a familiar face appeared from through a doorway from the kitchen.

"Ah, hey there, Naruto. Here for the usual?" The young boy looked up to see one of his favorite people greeting him with a smile.

Naruto smiled at the man, but his smile lacked his usual cheerfulness, something that Teuchi noticed but did not comment on.

"Hey there, old man. Yeah, I could go for a bowl or two. I haven't really eaten anything since yesterday."

"Coming right up."

As the chef returned to the kitchen, he passed by his daughter who came out when she heard the boy's name called out. Ayame spotted the blonde as he sat on the stool seemingly deep in thought. A ghost of a frown appeared on the girl's face, but just as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Smiling cheerfully, the young lady walked up to the bar and leaned over it.

"Hey there handsome, feeling pretty hungry?"

Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I haven't had anything since lunch yesterday so I could really go for some ramen right now. So, how have you been this morning?"

"Been pretty slow. Not very many people eat ramen in the morning, but since its midday people should be coming in for lunch pretty soon."

"Well, hope you have another successful day." Naruto said as Teuchi walked up with a bowl in his hand and placed it down from the boy. Naruto broke his chopsticks, said grace, and dug right into his favorite dish. As Ayame watched him eat, she suddenly noticed what was tied to his head.

"Oh my god, Naruto, you got your headband! You finally became a ninja!"

Naruto paused in his eating, reached up, and once more rub the metal plate with the leaf village symbol engraved on its surface. "Yeah, I finally did it, after all this time finally became a ninja."

Ayame bounced on her feet as she gleefully cheered for the young man's success. "That's great, Naruto. Now you're one-step closer to obtaining your dream." But Ayame's smile quickly faded when she noticed that Naruto, the usual boisterous young boy who always proclaimed that he would one day become the Hokage, was not joining in the celebration for something he had worked so hard for. In fact, it appeared as though he was saddened by something. Being around the boy for so long, the girl could tell and something was bothering him just by looking at him, even when he tried to hide it behind a cheerful face. Now, though, that cheerful face was replaced with a subdued expression.

"Naruto..." Ayame started as she walked around the bar to sit beside the boy. Said blonde stopped his eating for a moment to look up at a pair of eyes that shined with genuine concern. "Is everything all right?"

Naruto remained still for a moment before he let out a heavy sigh. Ayame always seem to have this ability to tell if he was sad about something. It was as if she had some kind of sixth sense that let her know whenever he was upset when she was around, because she never failed to try to cheer him up. His 'mask' was able to fool a lot of people, but against his Ayame-neechan, it completely and utterly failed. Deciding that talking about his problem was better than keeping it to himself; the young boy pushed his bowl away from him and turned to the girl.

"I'm alright, Ayame-neechan. It's just that...this morning...I found out about my family."

Ayame gasped. "You found out about your family? How? Who told you?"

"…My aunt."

"You have a living aunt? Naruto, that's great. You're not alone anymore."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I guess, but…why would she wait all this time to see me? She said she knew about me since the day I was born, so why did it take twelve years for her to see me?"

Ayame stayed silent for a moment before she placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Naruto, I'm sure she had her reasons."

"WHAT reasons!? What reason could she of possibly had leave me alone for the first twelve years of my life? If she cared so much as she said she did, then why was I alone?"

Naruto looked down as fresh tears threatened to burst from his eyes. All the years of pain and loneliness seem to well up inside him as he thought about what he endured. Being forced to live on his own without the comfort of a family member being there for him. It just wasn't fair to him that there was someone out there who he was related to that wouldn't be there for him when he needed it the most. It just wasn't fair.

"But Naruto, you are never alone."

Naruto blinked before he looked up at his sister figure and saw something different about the girl. She seemed to have changed instantly from a young lady into a more mature woman even though she looked the same as before. Her eyes held this aura of wisdom and power that wasn't there before and her smile held much more adoration in it than before. He also noticed that her voice had changed as it gained a much smoother and alluring tone that someone her age shouldn't possess. It was a real shock to him.

"Ayame-neechan?"

The 'woman' sitting before him reached out and gently took both of his hands into her own and held them up between them.

"You are never alone, Naruto. 'We' have always been here for you. 'We' have always been watching over you, helping you, and caring for you even if you didn't see us."

"What... What you talking about? What do you mean you've been watching over me?" Naruto was really confused at this point.

"We had been here since the beginning, since the day of your birth. We were tasked with protecting you since your family could not. Even if you never noticed us, we've always cared and loved you with all our hearts. You are very precious to us."

Naruto stared at the person who was his sister figure in silence, trying hard to understand the sudden change in the girl before him. After a long moment finally asked.

"What are you?"

Ayame giggled, and enchanting laugh that sounded as smooth as silk and as sweet as honey. "I am Ayame, the girl who is your sister and all but blood, but I'm also much more."

Ayame let go of Naruto's hand and pointed hers towards the bowl that sat in front of him on the bar. The bowl shook slightly from an unseen force before it suddenly levitated off the bar and floated into the girl's outstretched hand. With a mischievous smile, she turned back to the boy who was staring at her in wide-eyed shock.

"You...You're a sorceress!?"

Ayame laughed as she placed the ball back down on the bar. "That's right Naruto. I am indeed a sorceress, just like your aunt. Although, I may not be as skilled as she is, but I do know quite a few spells."

"…But…How?...I don't under- wait a minute, you know my aunt?"

Ayame smiled gently. "Of course I do, she was one of my teachers. She is also the one who asked me to keep an eye on you and take care of you as best as I could."

"But, if you were supposed to take care me, then why is it that you never told me for before now? Why did you hide something like this for me?"

Ayame let out a sigh. "Because, Naruto, it was for the sake of being able to stay here with you. If I had told you who I was before, it would've put you and myself at great risk. Tell me, Naruto, if I told you that I was able to do magic when you were younger, what would you have done?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment before realization struck him. "I would've told everyone about my neechan's awesome power."

"And what would the people think if they heard that?"

"...They would think that you're some kind demon and either chase you out or kill you."

Ayame nodded. "That's right. It would have been disastrous if anybody knew about my secret. The sorceresses have gone through something similar to this in the past, Naruto, and we have learned the importance of keeping our identities concealed. Not to mention what the villagers would think if they knew you were talking to people with strange powers."

Naruto figured out pretty quickly what they would think. They would think he had somehow make contact with other demons and was raising an army to destroy the village. As ridiculous as it sounded, to these people, it would make perfect sense, and it would've been bad news for him. The village would've called for his blood and wouldn't stop until they had it. He shivered at the thought. Now that he had some clarity of thought, he didn't feel nearly as hurt as before about the fact that his sister figure kept such a secret from him.

"You said you were taking care of me even though you were hiding who you are. How did you do that without exposing yourself?"

Ayame giggled. "That's the beauty of magic, Naruto. It lets you do all kinds of things that are considered impossible, even by Shinobi standards. For instance, do you remember how you would suddenly find fresh food in your pantry? Or brand-new clothing in your closet?"

Naruto suddenly remembered the times where he would come home and find fresh fruits, bread, meat and other foods appearing in his pantry and refrigerator from out of nowhere. He also remembered he would open his closet and find brand-new clothing that seem to have magically appeared there. He always assumed that that it was the old man who was given it to him.

"That was you?"

"Myself and the others, yes."

"You and… Wait, there are others? There are other sorceresses here?" Naruto asked in bewilderment as he looked around.

"Yes, Naruto. There are many of us here, watching over you. And all of us have tried to make you as happy as possible, even if you never knew about it. Sadly, we couldn't do much without revealing ourselves. But hopefully, all that will change very soon now that Aurora is here."

Naruto remembered what Aurora had told him back in the Hokage's office about being there for him now. He still wasn't quite sure how he felt about it.

"But why now? What stopped her from being here before? Why couldn't she have stayed here, or have taking me away."

Ayame shook her head. "I'm afraid it is not my place to tell you that. You must ask her that yourself. "But, Naruto..." Ayame started has she gently cupped his cheek. "…I want you to do something for me. I want you to give her a chance. I know that you're upset with her for not being here for you, but I will tell you that it was for a good reason. Please don't hold it against her. You mean much more to her than you know. Please, Naruto, for me."

Naruto remained silent for several minutes, milling over everything before he finally gave a nod. "I… I'll try."

Ayame smiled before she reached up and pulled the headband away from his forehead as she leaned over and kissed it. "That's all I want, Naruto. Thank you for understanding."

Naruto blushed a little bit at the affectionate gesture and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. But just before anything else could be said, the two heard that Teuchi call from the kitchen.

"Ayame…Ayame, where are you? I could use some help back here."

"Coming, dad." Ayame said as she instantly reverted to the ramen girl that Naruto knew. "Now then, want you go ahead and finish up the bowl you started on while I get you another. I'm sure you must be starving."

Naruto nodded for he turned back to his bowl of ramen, which somehow remained hot and steamy throughout the entire conversation. He got the sinking suspicion that magic was involved in keeping it warm for him.

\- Hokage Monument – Later –

Naruto sat on top of the bust of his father as he stared down at the vast village that was his home. He had come up here after he finished eating and bid Teuchi and Ayame goodbye. His talk with Ayame had been…enlightening, and it made him think about many things. He had been convinced that no one truly cared about him. Sure, he had the old man Hokage and Teuchi and Ayame that treated him kindly, but never did he believe to have someone who genuinely cared about his happiness and wellbeing. But to find out that there were people in the village who secretly cared for him…he honestly didn't know how to feel about that. He was just so used to having nothing but negativity directed at him for so long.

And then there was Aurora, his only known living relative. Now that his mood had improved, he could think more clearly about the woman. He still didn't know just how to feel about her. He was happy to know that someone truly loved him as family, just as he had always dreamed of, but he also angry that she hadn't been there for him in his life. He had endured so much and only now did she choose to appear? A small part of him really wanted to tell her off.

But he thought back to what Ayame had told him. The truth that his sister figure was a magical sorceress who had been asked by his aunt to watch over him in her stead, among other woman, made him feel better about her. For now, he would reserve judgement.

"Naruto."

Hearing his name being called, the boy turned to find the very woman he was just thinking about walking up to him.

"Aurora." Naruto said as the sorceress walked up beside before she sat down beside him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him, her eyes filled with warmth.

"Better." Naruto responded before he looked back over the village.

"I see." The two feel into silence for a few minutes.

"How did you know I was up here?" Naruto finally asked, curious on how his aunt was able to find him.

Aurora smiled. "With this." Aurora pointed to the small crystal hanging from her neck.

"A...crystal?"

"That's right, Naruto. This crystal is very special. All sorceresses carry one, and it allows us to stay connected with one another no matter how far away we are." She said as she gently cupped the crystal in her hands. "We are able to communicate with one another by focusing our thoughts through it, but we can also feel the emotions of those who wear them as well, just like when we sensed your sadness and tried to comfort you."

"Feel my…but how did…? Wait!" Naruto reached into his clothing and pulled out his own crystal necklace. He stared at it for a moment as he remembered all the times he felt comfort from the item.

"I see you figured it out." Aurora said as she saw Naruto come to the realization of what the item did. "That crystal is just like the ones that we possess. It was given to you on the day of your birth; your first birthday present."

"So…you guys gave it to me." Naruto said as he looked at the one piece of property that had always been his own.

"That's right. The crystal was imprinted on you when you received it and has always stayed with you for all these years. It kept you connected to us at all times and we have been able to keep an eye on you no matter where you were. Even when it was taken from you, the crystal still found its way back to you, with a little help from the 'Sisters', of course."

The crystal in Aurora's hands started to glow a pale white. Naruto marveled at the glow when he suddenly noticed that his own crystal started to glow too. As he stared at the glowing object, he suddenly felt a familiar sensation envelop him. It was the soothing and comforting feeling he always felt when he was depressed or sad, only this time, it felt like he was being wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth and love.

"Do you feel it, Naruto?" The woman asked as she smiled at the boy. "Can you sense our feelings flowing through the gift in your hands? This is the love that we all have for you. It is the proof that you are not unwanted or unloved, Naruto. We, all of us, care for you."

He could feel it! It wasn't just Aurora he was feeling though the crystal, there were so many others. It felt like…an entire village worth of people were pouring there love through the crystal in his hands…and it was all for him! Naruto started to cry, it was just too much for him.

' _Naruto…'_

"A-Ayame!" Naruto suddenly said, as he suddenly both heard and felt the young woman through the crystal.

Aurora giggled. "I see that you found one of the 'Sisters', Naruto." She said as the glow from the crystals disappeared and the warm feeling with it. "Young Ayame had been one of the most vigilant in her watch over you. She never failed to respond to your feelings when you needed it."

Naruto got his crying under control as he wiped away the tears on his face. "She…she said that you were one of her teachers. If you were away until now, then how did you have the ability to teach her?"

"We have our ways, Naruto. After all, magic is potentially limitless in its abilities."

Naruto was suddenly finding magic to be more and more amazing by the second. It seemed even more powerful than even chakra and jutsus. Maybe if he had learned magic, he could have been much more than the 'dead-last' of his class…and a failure.

"I wish I could learn magic." He commented, not really expecting anything from it.

Aurora, though, seemed to have been waiting for him to say that.

"Would you like to learn?"

His head whipped around so quickly it was a wonder the boy didn't get whiplash. "I-I can learn it?!"

Aurora's smile grew as she responded. "Of course you can, Naruto. I'll be more than happy to teach you, if you would let me." The woman reached out and took both of Naruto hands in hers, just as Ayame had done earlier. "Naruto, I know that it was very lonely for you for all these long years, and I am so sorry that I could not be there for you. But, I want so badly to make it up to you. If you could let me, I will happily be the family that you have wanted for so long. I beg of you, Naruto. Please give me the chance."

Naruto stared into the eyes of the woman before him and he could see that she whole-heartedly meant what she said. It was honestly shocking to see such conviction from her, to know that she absolutely wanted to be there for him without expecting anything in return. In that moment, Naruto knew that Aurora loved him unconditionally. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind about it now. He knew it. He felt it. He could feel her love and resolve through whatever sense or bond he had with her. This was it. The one thing he wanted more than anything in the world was right there in front of him, and all he had to do was accept it.

Blinking to keep the tears at bay, he gave his answer.

"A...alright. I...I would be happy…if you would be a part of my family…Oba-san."

Aurora remained still as she listened to Naruto's reply before she smiled in joy as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She suddenly lunged forward and enveloped the boy in the biggest hug he had ever experienced.

"Thank you…Thank you, Naruto…Thank you. I promise you'll never regret this."

Naruto smiled a genuine happy smile as he wrapped his own arms around the woman and hugged her back. They stayed like that for the longest time until they finally broke away and Aurora wiped away the tears in her eyes before she fixed the boy with another beautiful smile.

"Well, It certainly getting late in the day and I'm sure that you must be getting hungry, so why don't we go home and I'll fix us up something so we can eat while we get to know each other a little better, hmm?"

Naruto cringed a little when she mentioned the word 'home'. For him the place happened to be an old, rundown apartment that was almost constantly vandalized to the point where even a rat would look for a better place to live. It was most certainly not a place that he wanted to take his aunt.

"Uh, Auntie Aurora…" Naruto nervously spoke.

"Hmm? What is it, Naruto?" She asked while keeping her elation suppressed that her nephew was calling her 'Auntie'.

Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Well…you see…I really don't think going to my home is a very good idea." He really didn't want to show his aunt the broken down dump that he had been forced to live in. Not only that, but if anyone spotted her walking around with the village pariah, then they may label her a 'demon-lover' and treat her as an outcast as well.

Aurora sighed before patted the boys cheek. "Naruto, I know what you are thinking and I want you to stop right now. I could care less about how the village views me. They could speak the harshest insults to me, ban me from their shops, even throw their stones at me, but nothing in this world will stop me from loving you as my nephew. Besides, I am hardly defenseless. You've seen me take care of that monster that Mizuki became, right?"

Naruto thought about it and she did have a point. She was powerful in her own right and there wouldn't be a villager stupid enough to try anything if they knew what she could do.

…Okay, maybe they would. They were stupid after all.

"I also know about your living conditions, Naruto. The 'Sisters' here told me all about it. Do you honestly believe I was referring to your old and decrepit apartment when I was talked about heading home?"

"What? Are you saying you have your own place here?" Naruto asked in surprised by what Aurora was implying.

"Why yes, Naruto. Your mother created a place when she first arrived her in the village using her magic."

"No way! That's awesome! I bet it's the coolest place ever if my mom made it. Can we go there now? Where exactly is it?" Naruto asked excitedly as he bounced around on the balls of his feet.

Aurora smiled mischievously as she gestured towards the woods behind the Hokage Monument. It took Naruto a second to realize what she was implying.

"Eh? It's back there? But that doesn't make any sense. I've been running around in the woods back there for years and all that's there is empty woods and a few training fields."

Aurora giggled at the boy's response. "Are you forgetting who we are already? The home she made is protected by a magic barrier that prevents anyone except one of us or one who is trusted by us from finding it. It has remained hidden and protected for all these years and now it will be your new home, Naruto. No more rundown vandalized apartment for you."

Naruto's eyes were wide as a grin began formed on his face before it turned into a full-blown smile. "Alright! I get a new home! Hey, what kind of place is it? Can we go see it now? Huh? Can we?"

"Of course, Naruto. We'll go there right now, and tomorrow, we can go and get all of your things out of your old apartment. Then we can start on your magic training if you would like. As for what kind of home it is, let's just say that it's something I think you'll really enjoy."

Naruto smiled happily as he followed his aunt into the forest behind the Hokage Monument. The day had started out with him neck deep in trouble and ended with one of his most deepest wishes coming true. He finally had someone who he could call his family and a special group of people that cared for him. The boy wasn't sure what the coming days held for him, but now that he finally had those who would whole-heartedly support him, he could face it head on without hesitation.

\- To Be Continued –

{Author's Notes}

A tad short but I'm satisfied with it.

Second chapter out and quite a few surprises for our blonde hero, huh? The idea that Aurora was related to Naruto was something I had intended since I first planned this story, and is one of the key parts in it. It is one of the things that makes my story unique since so many people often stick to canon when writing their stories. Speaking of canon, I will let you know right now that you can take the history of the world of Naruto and roll it right up in a ball and chunk it straight into the trash. This world will have different origins that are unique to this story, like Kushina being a sorceress. Also, there will be a point where I diverge from the storyline so I don't want to hear anyone complain about this story not sticking to canon events.

Canon is completely optional in fanfiction, just so you know.

For those who think that revealing Naruto's parents already was a bit too soon, I wanted to get it out of the way now because there will be things that Naruto learns in the next few chapters that are closely related to his mother as a sorceress, so without that knowledge it would have been harder to make the story flow properly and it would seem like Aurora was trying to manipulate the boy, something that I want to avoid.

Who was surprised that Ayame was also a sorceress? Another thing I made sure to do was get her more involved than being a simple girl at a ramen stand that is only appears when the characters are around the place or mentioned in a thought. She will have a bigger part to play in this story, as will a few others of my choosing.

Now, it was mentioned that there were numerous sorceresses hiding in Konoha. That is another point of this story and I will be revealing them as the story progresses, as well as those who live outside the village. A few of them might just surprise you.

Why are they all so caring for Naruto? That is something you'll have to find out as you read.

In the next chapter, Naruto gets settled into his new home and Aurora starts his training. Hope you all are looking forward to it.

Peace.


	3. Settling In

Chapter 3: Settling In

"So, how much farther is it, Auntie?"

Aurora smiled as she led her nephew through the dense foliage of the forest behind the Hokage Monument. The pair had been walking at a sedated pace for almost twenty minutes as the sorceress led the young boy to where his new home was waiting. She knew that Naruto wasn't exactly the patient type; his hyperactive personality was a blaring indication of that, but Aurora wouldn't have him any other way than what he was. A hyperactive, prank-loving, ramen-guzzling, steel-willed boy with a heart of gold whom she loves with all her heart.

And now, she was going to get to show him just how much love she had for him, starting with getting him out of that rat hole that was his apartment and putting him in a place that he could really call 'home.'

"Just a little further, Naruto. The spot we're looking for is just up ahead." Aurora responded as she glanced over her shoulder and gazed at the boy who was keeping a step behind her walking with his hands behind his head. The woman giggled as she noticed that his eyes were in their trademarked "fox" squint.

Naruto, meanwhile, was just wondering what kind of house he was moving into, and where the hell it was for that matter. The boy had been running around this forest since he first had the strength to climb atop the Hokage Monument and he had since explored every single inch of the area up to the rear wall that sat miles away from the monument. If anyone had found a house hidden somewhere back here, it would have been him.

Deciding to wait and see where his aunt was leading him, he started asking questions.

"So, uh, what exactly can you do with magic, Auntie?"

Aurora tapped her chin in thought, trying to decide just how she was going to answer the boy's question. "Well, as you saw before, magic can be used for several things. One use, of course, is for combat. That is a category of spell craft in and of itself. Another is for teleportation or the moving of people and objects over long distances instantaneously. There is also magic for healing, communicating, divination, exorcism, telekinesis, telepathy, rune-making…" The woman turned to her nephew and gave him a warm smile. "The possibilities are endless, Naruto, and I'll be sure to teach you as much as I can."

Naruto stared up at his aunt with wide eyes, amazed at how much potential magic had and he couldn't stop himself from grinning at the prospect of learning such amazing abilities.

Aurora giggled at the boy's expression and she knew he was quite eager to learn the ways of sorcery. However, he was going to have to wait until he was settled into his new home, and as luck would have it, they had just arrived at their destination.

"Oh, it seems we have arrived."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked as he looked ahead and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

They had arrived at a spot where the trail takes a sharp right turn where it would lead to a training ground further down the trail. What stood before them was a large tree, much like the others that grew around them, only this one was hollowed out at the base and was large enough for a small group of people to fit inside. Naruto recognized the particular tree as one he frequently sat under whenever he roamed around the woods when he was younger.

For some reason, he always felt at peace when he came to this spot.

"I don't get it, Auntie Aurora." Naruto said, as he looked back up at the woman who had lead him there. "I thought you said that we were going to my new home."

Once more, a pleasant giggle left the sorceress' mouth as she smiled down at the young genin. "That _is_ what I said, and I _have_ lead you to it."

Naruto looked back between the tree and Aurora a couple of times as his confusion grew, much to the woman's amusement, as he tried to understand what she was talking about. There was nothing there but a big tree!

"Wait, are you saying that my new home is a big tree?"

"Something like that, but this isn't your home, Naruto, it is the door to your new home."

"Huh?" Naruto was now even more confused.

Aurora was thoroughly enjoying the confused look on his face, but she decided to give the child a break and clarify her meaning.

"You see, Naruto, I told you that the home was protected by a barrier that keeps it from being found, right?" Receiving a nod, the woman continued. "Well, what I failed to mention is that the barrier actually separates the home from this plan of existence and places it in its own space, sort of like how a storage scroll contains its own space for things to be placed in it that would otherwise not fit on a sheet of paper. The only difference is that it is permanently anchored into that space, so you can't bring it out to this plane."

"Huh? But if it is permanently sealed away, then how are we going to get it out?" Naruto asked with a worried expression. He didn't want to think he had come all the way out here for nothing.

Aurora held up a finger and winked. "We are not going to bring it out of the seal; we are going to go _inside_ the seal." She then pointed towards the tree. "And this is the entrance."

Naruto blinked, now starting to understand what she was talking about. "So you're saying that my home has its own separate space that no one can normally get to except through this 'doorway'?" Naruto ended his question by pointing to the tree.

Aurora nodded. "That's right."

Naruto stood there for a moment before he suddenly jumped up cheering. "Woohoo! Awesome! It's like my own special secret hideout!"

Aurora laughed as she watched him bounce around for a moment. It always made her happy to see him like this. Healthy, happy and energetic.

"Well, shall we go see your new home?" Aurora asked as she then led the excited boy under the tree, where they stopped in the center of a ring of stone and moss right in the center of where the tree stood. "Now listen well, Naruto. The key that opens this door is a word that can only be used by someone who is either keyed into the seal or is unquestionably trusted by one who is keyed, understand?"

Seeing him nod, she lifted her staff in the air and spoke loudly.

" _ **Sanctuarius!"**_

The moment she spoke the word, the ground lit up as a magic circle, not unlike Aurora's teleportation circle, appeared under their feet. Naruto noted that this one was a light green rather than the bright white that his aunt's circle was. As the light intensified, small specks of light started to float up from the circle and before long the entire hollow was filled with light before it abruptly vanished, along with the two occupants.

\- Unknown Location –

When Naruto was finally able to see again, the first thing he noticed was that the two of them were still inside a hollow tree, only this one was quite a bit larger than the one they were in moments ago. The other thing he noticed was that instead of dirt, rocks and moss, there was grass growing in the hollow that possessed a shade a green he had never seen before in plants. It looked like a very bright green rather than the forest green that he was used to seeing. He looked about and noticed that the wood had a more grayish color to it rather than a light brown. There's also an exact copy of the magic circle that was used to transport them carved into the ground where they stood.

"Well, shall we have a look?" Aurora asked as she walked towards the opening that lead outside with Naruto following a step behind.

When they emerged from the tree, Naruto was finally able to see where they had been transported to and promptly went wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what all was before him.

"Whooooooaaa!"

Aurora giggled at the boy's reaction before she spoke. "Welcome, Naruto Uzumaki, to your new home. Welcome…to Karoline's Grove."

 _{Play "Chrono Trigger - Corridors of Time (Orchestral Remix)"}_

The place was something straight out of a fairytale. The grove was huge! As large as the Hokage Monument was wide. The entire edge of the grove was lined with thick trees that had the same grayish bark as the tree they had just stepped out of with leaves that varied in color from bright green like the grass to deep purple. Within the grove, he could see all manner of plant life that he had never seen before. There were flowers in every shade of color imaginable. Tall stalks with curled up tops that glowed with a faint light. Mushrooms that were so large one could sit on them. There was also a large pond with crystal clear water that was feed by a bubbling spring from atop a pile of rocks. The water that collected in the pond then flowed down a small stream that snaked across the grove before it disappeared through the tree line. The grove also contained a stone path that started from the opening of the hollow tree and lead to the center of the grove, which included a wooden bridge that crossed over the stream. To his immediate right sat an old willow tree, its presence like a silent sentinel that watched over the entrance of the grove.

But what really got Naruto's attention was the single most largest living tree he had ever seen in his life that sat right smack dab in the center of the grove. The tree was a towering structure, over fifty stories tall with a canopy that stretched across the entire grove, keeping the land shaded with only streams of sunlight breaking through leaves at random places. The trunk itself was over one hundred feet in width, which firmly supported the tree's massive weight.

Now, seeing the tree alone would have been awe-inspiring as it was, but add in the fact that someone seemed to have built a dwelling right into the tree was downright mind-boggling. It looked like somebody had carved several openings into the side of the tree and built numerous rooms inside of the interior. The front door sat ten feet off the ground with a staircase leading up to the door, which was framed by a large gable roof. Naruto could see numerous windows doting the side of the trunk as well as several large balconies shaped to resemble shelf mushrooms placed seemingly at random. He could even vaguely make out structures built up inside the canopy.

"That…..that's my new home?" Naruto asked as he lifted a shaky finger up to point at the dwelling.

"You were expecting a small cottage, maybe?" Aurora asked; her voice full of mirth as she giggled at the boy's reaction.

Naruto was silent for a moment as he took a moment to take it all in before a huge smile broke out on his face.

"This. Is So. COOL! It's like the ultimate treehouse!"

Aurora's giggles turned into a light laugh. "I suppose it is."

Naruto started to bounce on his feet. "Oh man, this is awesome. I've never seen such a place before. It's incredible."

" _There is no other place like it. That is for sure."_

"GAH!" Naruto jumped at the voice that had suddenly came out of nowhere. Looking around, he tried to locate the source of the voice, but all I could see was the grove, the willow tree to his right, and his aunt who was sporting a very mischievous smile on her face.

"Wh-who said that?"

" _Why, that would be me, young one."_

Naruto turned to the direction of the willow tree before his eyes started to trail up its trunk until they landed on what appeared to be a face belonging to an old man.

Made of bark.

In the willow tree.

…

…

…

What the hell?!

" _Hello, there."_

"….Uhhh, Auntie? Do you see an old man's face in the willow tree that's talking to me?"

 _*Giggle!*_ "Why yes. Yes I do."

"Oh…then it's not just my imagination…"

Aurora just continued to giggle at Naruto's dumbfounded expression as she stepped passed the boy and addressed the talking willow tree.

"Hello, Old Willow. You look very well today."

" _Ah ha ha. As well as a three hundred year old magic willow tree can be. And I see you brought Karoline's boy here today."_

"Huh?" Naruto said as he finally snapped out of his stupor. "You knew my mother?"

Old Willow gave a hardy chuckle. _"Why of course I knew her, my boy. This was your mother's home, after all. Why wouldn't I know her?"_

Naruto had to concede that point to the old tree. Before he could say anything about it, he took a step back as the tree started to lean down to get a closer look at him.

" _Hmm…yes. Yes, you do resemble her so. I see the same fire in your eyes as she possessed. A pure heart and soul, too. And courage, plenty of courage. And something else, too…"_ Old Willow's trunk creaked as it resumed its natural upright position. _"Tell me, what is your name?"_

"Uh? Oh, it's Naruto Uzumaki, Mr. Willow, sir."

" _Naruto…Uzumaki, is it?"_ The tree muttered as a look of contemplation crossed his features. After a moment, the tree nodded. _"Very well. I see no reason to deny you taking possession of this grove. I'm sure your mother would be happy to know that you have finally come home."_

"Huh? How can you see all that just by looking at someone? And what do you mean you that you'd let me take possession of the grove? Isn't it my mother's?" Naruto asked, slightly confused by the whole conversation.

"Allow me to explain, Naruto." Aurora said as she walked over and stood beside the tree. "Old Willow here acts as both the guardian and caretaker off the grove. He sees that the grounds and tree are taken care of as well as guards the entrance to the grove. He also has the ability to judge a person's character just by looking at them. Should anyone with dark intention were to enter, Old Willow would see to it that they leave just as quickly as they came."

Naruto blinked as he looked from his aunt to the tree. "But, how can he do that? Isn't he just a tree?"

The old willow let out a deep laugh. _"I maybe a tree, young Naruto, but I can do things that no ordinary tree can."_ To emphasize the point, the tree suddenly lifted itself from the ground using its roots to 'stand up' as it held his trunk above the ground while the vines from its branches waved and flicked as if they had a life of their own. _"Now, if you will excuse me, I believe it is time I made my way down to the water to drink. I bid you two a good evening."_ Old willow turned and stared to make his way towards the edge of the pond as he used his roots to pull himself across the ground.

Naruto stared as he watched the old tree move at a slow pace towards the water while Aurora simply waved before turning to the stunned boy. "Surprised?"

"It's not something you see every day, that's for sure." Naruto acknowledged, earning another giggle from the white sorceress.

"Well I can assure you, Naruto, there are plenty of surprises hidden everywhere in this place, and you will see them all in due time. For now, though, I suggest we take a look at your new home."

Naruto nodded and the two made their way down the stone path that lead to the large tree in the center. As they approached the front door, Naruto took notice that the path actually splits off right at the base of the stairs and the two new paths would lead around the tree, splitting off at certain places were the new paths would then lead off in different directions. Apparently, there would be plenty of exploring for him to do when he got the chance.

Walking up the stairs, they finally made it to the front door of the home. Naruto noticed the very ornate design of the door in general as well as a brass plate with a seven-pointed star with archaic symbols affixed in the very center of the door. Right above the door hung a brass plate with the word 'Drasil' engraved in large letters. Aurora walked up to the door and turned to Naruto.

"Now listen, Naruto. This tree is named Drasil, and is the home created by your mother with her magic, along with magic gathered from the world itself. As you know, the 'gate' to the grove was designed to allow entry to either those who were amongst the sisters or those trusted by them. This door operates in the same manner. Only those amongst us can unlock this door and gain entry into Drasil. To do this, all you need to do is place your hand on this star and the door will unlock. Since I am your mother's sister, I am already keyed into the lock. You on the other hand have not yet been keyed. We will do so right now." She motioned him to step forward and the boy did so. "Now, place your hand up on this star along with me and you will be keyed into the seal."

Naruto nodded as he stepped forward and brought his hand up to touch the plate, just as Aurora did the same. The moment they touched the plate, the star engraved upon it lit up, flashing in a variety of colors for a second before it pulsed white. The light remained steady for a moment before it slowly faded away and a 'click' was heard in the door. Aurora removed her hand and turned to her nephew with a smile.

"Now you are allowed into Drasil any time you wish. This star is also tied into the 'gate' so you will be able to come and go as you please once you learn the words that activates the circle." The woman reached out and turned the handle on the door before pushing it open. "Now then, I welcome you to your new home, Naruto Uzumaki." Aurora bowed and presented the open door to the boy. Naruto stared at the opening in awe, letting the situation sink in before taking the last few steps that brought him into the place that he would quickly call home.

Naruto stepped across the threshold and immediately walked into a large hallway carved completely out of the wood of the tree. The passageway was lined with a series of ornate arches that lined the hall at equal distances from one another. On each arch support hanged a metal shepherd hook with a glowing crystal affixed to the end that illuminated the hallway in its entirety.

Naruto slowly made his way through the passage as his eyes took in all the intricate detail of the finely carved hallway. Before he knew it, though, he reached the end and stepped into the main area of the dwelling where his eyes widened in sheer wonder.

The tree's interior was massive! Over half of the Drasil's trunk had been hollowed out in a perfect cylinder that stretched all the way up to the base of the canopy. A central column stood tall in the center of the large room with a spiral staircase wrapped around the exterior. Naruto could see several landings set at equal levels that anchored bridges that would connect the outer section of the tree trunk to the column. The bridges were also lined with arches much like the entry hall and each arch was lit in the same manner. At the end of each bridge sat a balcony that would run around the circumference of the chamber. The very top, about ten stories up, the column connected straight into the ceiling where the stairs vanished from view through a large hole, showing that there was even more up above in the branches of the tree.

A quick glance around at the bottom floor where he stood revealed three arched openings that lead to other rooms. Since these openings did not possess doors, he could easily see into each room from where he stood. The room to his right contained a large wooden table with numerous chairs surrounding it, giving him the idea that it could be a meeting room for discussions. The room straight across from him also contained a table, only this one was long and narrow but was also surrounded by chairs. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of that room just yet, but he was fairly certain he was going to find out in short time.

The left room held a large bookcase along the wall with hundreds, if not thousands, of books sitting on the numerous shelves that stretched all the way up beyond his sight from where he stood in the main chamber. He could also see several stools, chairs and cushions scattered about the floor of the room.

A library, perhaps? Or a common room?

Regardless of what one specific room is, the place as a whole was simply awe-inspiring. Nothing, absolutely nothing he had seen before could come anywhere near the sheer marvel that was the magical grove where he now resided.

"Well, Naruto, what do you think?" Aurora asked as she smiled down at the speechless blonde.

"This…this…I-I can't even put it into words. I never imagined that such a place can exist." He turned to his aunt. "You're saying that mom made this?" He asked as he gestured to the interior.

"Well, she had a little help. Now then, how about I make up something for us to eat. In the meantime, why don't you explore a little? When I have dinner ready, I'll call for you."

Naruto looked around as he considered the suggestion. The place was bigger than anything he had seen, so it would take some time to look at every little thing. But that wouldn't stop him from trying and there was no time like the present. But there was one little question he had to ask.

"Well, I don't mind exploring but how exactly are you going to call for me when I could be anywhere in this tree?"

Aurora giggled as she bent down to get more eyelevel with her nephew. "Oh, don't worry about me not being able to contact you, Naruto. We sorceresses have our ways." With a wink, Aurora turned and left Naruto to his own devices as she entered the room with the long table and disappeared around the corner.

Naruto looked about trying to decide where he was going to start looking. But when you only have four passages to take and three of the four doorways show rooms that are clearly visible while the fourth is the one you came through, there really was only one option.

"Guess I'm going up." Naruto commented as he headed towards the central column and the staircase attached.

The column was pretty wide, about fifteen feet wide while the stairs spanned another ten feet out from the column's wall, just enough room to allow traffic to flow between people who were going up or down at the same time. As he ascended to the first landing, he noticed there were more light crystals attached to the column via more metal shepherd hooks. He got the suspicion that this was a reoccurring theme to the decor. Making up to the first landing, Naruto was finally able to see where the bridges lead. Along the walls, where the balconies made it accessible, were numerous green doors. Making his way across the bridge, he approached the first door and closely examined it.

The door was around seven feet tall and three and a half feet wide with an intricate design depicting a series of branches, vines and leaves growing from a large stem at the bottom of the door. In the center of the door at and the level of an adults head was a bronze plate with the engraving of a rune that Naruto couldn't decipher but he did recognize it from somewhere. After pondering over it for a moment, it finally clicked. The rune was the same as one of the seven on the seven-pointed star on the front door. Glancing at the other doors, he noticed bronze plates on the others only those possessed different runes.

Getting the idea that these symbols were some kind of identification for each room, Naruto shrugged before reaching out and turning the handle to open the door, although he did make a mental note to ask his aunt what the symbols meant later.

Inside the room, Naruto found what he thought was a quaint little bedroom. Just like with the rest of the interior, the floor, ceiling and walls looked like they were carved straight out of the tree. All the furniture was wooden as well, which included a bed, two nightstands, a set of drawers, and a bookshelf filled with books. The only thing not made of wood was the mattress on the bed, which looked incredibly soft and comfortable. Once more, the room was lit by light crystals that hanged from the ceiling in the form of a small metal chandelier. Two windows on either side of the bed provided light from outside as well as a view of the grounds below. There was also a door on the left wall between the bookshelf and the rear wall, but it was shut so he couldn't see what was inside.

"Huh…homey." Naruto commented as he took the room in before stepping back out and closing the door. He wanted to check out the other rooms to see what they held before dinner was called.

Turns out that all of the rooms were the same as the first one he found, bedrooms with similar layouts. He had to wonder why this place needed so many bedrooms. From the looks of it, this tree had enough living space to house a decent sized clan. Well, after about ten minutes of finding the same thing repeatedly, Naruto finally had enough and decided to see just where the column led. And so, the boy started the daunting task of climbing to the top. On the way, though, he found something most peculiar. One the third floor landing, Naruto passed by a large hole built into the column that was blocked off by wooden bars that curved down from the top of the arched opening to the sides of the opposite side from where they started, causing the bars to crisscross one another. Looking through the bars, he could see that the column was hollow just like the central part of the tree, only there was nothing inside the space like stairs or anything to traverse, only smooth walls illuminated by and unseen light and a straight shot down. Looking up, he saw that the space kept going with no roof in sight, so he had to assume that this was some kind of shaft that ran the entire length of the column. After making his observation, Naruto was about to move on but stopped when something caught his eye. There were two bronze plates stuck on the side of the column just right of the opening, but unlike the plates on the bedroom doors, these had arrows engraved on them. The top one pointed up while the bottom one pointed down. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto reached out and touched the top plate. He jumped back a little when it started glowing like the plate on the front door. Staring at the glowing plate in wonder, his attention turned to the shaft when his hearing picked up the sound of humming coming from below. As the humming got louder, Naruto finally caught sight of movement from within as what looked like a bright glowing platform moved up the shaft and stopped right at floor level with the third landing. Naruto watched in fascination as the bars slid open, allowing him entry to the platform. A few seconds of cautious observation with nothing else happening, Naruto finally took a few tentative steps into the shaft and had a look around.

His earlier assessment about the shaft going the length of the column was spot on as he looked up and saw nothing but empty space all the way up. He also noticed that there appeared to be small niches carved out at equal intervals up the shaft with a glowing crystal embedded in each niche, providing light to the shaft. A look around at eye level reveled nothing with the exception of another line of bronze plates on the left side of the opening he had just came through, only there were five plates with the bottom one numbered '1', the one above labeled '3', the next labeled '6' then '9' with the top one labeled 'L'. Taking a closer glance, he noticed the '3' plate was glowing. Scratching his head, he tried to make sense of the whole thing.

"Let's see here, I pressed the up arrow outside and a platform moved up and stopped where I was and let me in, now I've got some numbered and lettered plates with the second one glowing." Naruto muttered to himself as he stared at the plates, more specifically the one glowing. "Hold on." The boy suddenly said as an idea came to him. "I found this hole on the third floor, and the number three plate is glowing. Maybe this is some kind of speedy way to get around to different floors." Deciding to give it a try, he reached out and pressed the 'L' plate at the very top. The plate started glowing and he watched as the bars moved back into their original position before the platform he was standing on started moving up the shaft.

"Whoa…ha ha! Awesome! Now this sure beats climbing stairs! Why can't the Hokage Tower have something like this?" Naruto asked as the platform lifted him up through the shaft and he watched as he passed by several glowing crystals and two more barred openings in the shaft as he headed to the top. After only twenty seconds of waiting, Naruto finally came to a stop at the top of the shaft and the bars blocking the way out opened up.

"Now that's convenient." Naruto commented as he stepped out, but stopped dead in his tracks at what he found.

"Whoa!"

Books!

Books everywhere!

As high up as four stories stood shelves and shelves of books, all circling a room that was as wide as the tree's trunk. A network of stairs and catwalks provided access to the vast archive of knowledge that surrounded him. Large stained glass windows provided light in the gigantic room while the floor was filled with a maze of tables, chairs, stools, benches and even couches for those who wanted to sit down and read.

It took him a moment to snap himself out of his stupor in order to take in more details of the room. Looking around, he could see that besides the giant bookcases, there were openings in the walls, which lead to twisting corridors, showing that there was even more to the structure than just the carved out trunk and the massive library he was standing in. A glance behind him showed that the column that seemed to stop at the trunk's ceiling actually continued upwards to the roof of the library and, he suspected, continued up further still. A spiral staircase just like the one before snaked up the column to the top with several bridges shooting off regular intervals, allowing easier access to the bookshelves along the walls.

"Sakura-chan would have a field day in here." Naruto said as his eyes trailed across the room as he stood in absolute wonder at the sight of a library that could top the village's public library in book count. As his eyes wandered, they suddenly caught sight of a door on the far side of the room, which appeared to be the only door in the library itself. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto jogged across the room and stopped at the wooden barrier as he studied its features.

While it looked like any unassuming door, it was what was engraved on it that stood out. In the center of the door was the all too familiar spiraling leaf, the symbol of the village of Konoha itself. And right below the carved symbol was a clearly written kanji that was first thing he was able to read since entering the grove.

'Forth'

"I wonder what's in here."

Taking a moment to ponder, Naruto reached out and touched the handle of the door. He jerked back when the door suddenly glowed white. He stared as the white light started shifting into different colors rapidly, almost as if he was watching a rainbow flash across the wooden surface, before the light faded away.

 _*Click!*_

"Hmm? What was that? What the heck was that light show?" Naruto questioned as he watched for anything more to happen. When several seconds passed and nothing more occurred, he tentatively reached out and tried the nob again. When the door failed to react to him again, he carefully turned the handle. The door opened with no resistance. Shrugging at the bizarre phenomena, he pushed the door all the way open and stepped into the room.

The room was apparently a large study, given that the most prominent items in the room were a large desk, a chair and several bookcases sitting against the walls that were filled with books and scrolls. A large window gave the room enough light to see and where one could look outside simply by turning around in the chair, although from where Naruto was, all he could see was tree limbs and leaves filling the view.

Walking forward, he let his eyes wonder as he took in the room until he finally reached the desk. His eyes widened when he spotted something sitting on the front edge.

The item was a kunai, only it was different from the usual shinobi throwing weapon he was used to seeing. The blade was much shorter than the standard kunai and had two prongs sticking out of the side of the blade. The handle was longer and was covered in strange writing and scribbles. The weapon was resting on top of a custom-built stand made to hold the kunai horizontally across the desk.

Naruto picked the weapon up and carefully examined it, wondering just where he had seen such a blade before but just couldn't put his finger on it. As he was examining the weapon, a flash of white and red caught his eye. Turning to his right, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw an object hanging on a coat rack in the corner of the room.

The object was a long-sleeved white haori with red flames motifs on the bottom edge and kanji written in the center of the back.

'Fourth Hokage'

Naruto's head shot back and forth between the haori and the kunai in his hand as realization struck him. The haori belonged to the Fourth Hokage and the kunai in his hand was the Hiraishin kunai, the very thing the forth used for his 'Flying Thunder God' Technique.

This was the Forth Hokage's study!

His _Father's_ study!

"…Dad…" Naruto whispered as he gazed at the Hiraishin kunai in his hand with more reverence than he did before, see as how the place he stood in and the item he held was directly connected with the man he idolized, who he now knew was his father.

" _Naruto, dinner is ready."_

"Yipe!" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly heard a voice echo around him. Spinning around, he tried to find the source of the voice but found no one in the study besides himself. Confused, he tried to think of who that voice belonged and quickly realized that it could only belong to one person, the only other person who would be inside his new home.

"Auntie Aurora?"

" _Yes, Naruto, it's me. I did tell you I would call for you when I had dinner ready."_

"Ah…well, yeah, you did, but I thought it would be more like you shouting out to me or something." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head, feeling a little weird that he was talking to his aunt like this. "…how are you doing this, anyways?"

" _Why, Naruto, did you forget what I am already? Telepathic communication is a very simple matter for someone like me. It's also easy since you are carrying your crystal with you."_

Naruto patted his chest where his crystal was hanging from his neck under his jacket, remembering what his aunt had said about the sorceresses being able to communicate through them.

"Oh, yeah…I kinda forgot about that…"

He heard her giggle through the link. _"Now then, come back down to the bottom floor and head to the back of the room with the long table. The kitchen is back in the corner of the room."_

Nodding his head, Naruto carefully returned the Hiraishin kunai back to its resting place and left the study. He backtracked his way to the center column and hopped on the platform that brought him up to the library. Pressing the '1' plate, he waited as the platform lowered him back down the shaft all the way to the bottom floor before stopping and letting him off.

"I said it once and I'll say it again, that is just too convenient." The boy commented as he walked through the arched opening that lead him to the long table room. Walking pass the large furniture, Naruto found another opening in the right rear corner of the room and found himself standing in a large kitchen that looked like it could accommodate a crew of cooks who were trying to feed a lot of people. In the far corner of the kitchen was a nook with windows facing in the direction of the large pond where he could see old man willow with his roots dipped into the water as he slowly drank from the pond. In the middle of the nook was a table that could seat about six or seven individuals with a whole spread of steaming food. Sitting in one of the chairs was his aunt, who was waiting patiently for the boy.

"Ah, there you are, Naruto. Now come on over and eat, I made plenty for you." Aurora spoke with a smile.

Naruto nodded happily, as he walked over to the chair next to her and sat down in front of his portion.

"Huh? Oh, wow."

Apparently, his Aunt had prepared a dinner of grilled maceral, meat and potato stew, cucumber salad and a bowl of brown rice and miso soup on the side. While this seemed like your everyday meal form most people, for Naruto, who had been pretty much living on milk, cereal and ramen, it was a rare feast.

"I thought that making you something that was more customary for your village would be in order tonight." Aurora said as she picked up her chopsticks and prepared to eat.

"This is awesome. Other than when I eat at Ichiraku's, this is the most food I've had in one sitting. Itadakimasu!" Naruto declared as he tore into his meal. "Delicious!"

Aurora giggled. "I'm so happy you like it, Naruto."

The two ate in silence, enjoying their first meal together as a family. For Naruto, the whole experience was a novelty, having a home cooked meal made by a family member. He had often wondered what it was like to be like this, seeing too many times how other people in the village how had families to go home to at the end of the day, while he only had an old, rundown, empty apartment.

This…was really nice.

"By the way, Naruto. It seems that you found your father's old study, haven't you?" Aurora asked as she ate another stickful of rice.

Naruto perked up in surprise. "Huh? How did you know that?"

The sorceress simply stared at him with a pleasant smile, as if the answer was staring him right in the face.

Which it was.

"Oh. Right. Magic." Naruto laughed sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I did find it up in that huge library up in the tree. I didn't even think that I would find something of dad's here."

"Why would that be so surprising for you? You do realize that your mother and father were married, right? It would only be natural that your father would live here with your mother."

The boy had to admit that was true. If his mom and dad were close enough to be married then it would be reasonable to say that the fourth knew his wife was a sorceress.

"I guess so."

Aurora giggled. "Did you know that your father's 'Flying Thunder God Technique' was created by studying your mother's teleportation circle?"

"Woah, really?!" Naruto asked in surprise.

"It's true. Your father had spent days studying Karoline's magic circle in order to create a seal array that he could use with his chakra. The man had been so excited when he finally perfected it that he spent an entire evening simply zipping around the grove in a yellow flash. Your poor mother was so frazzled trying to catch him to make him come inside and have dinner with her. He ended up on the couch that night." Aurora laughed as she finished her little story.

Naruto was grinning at the mental image. "I would have loved to have seen that. I bet it was hilarious."

The two laughed and quickly finished up their dinner. Afterwards, Aurora cleaned up the dishes, aided by magic of course, and then led Naruto back up to the library level via the lift and guided him down one of the connecting corridors. The pathway was lined with windows, giving them a view of the tree's massive canopy, although, since it was nightfall, they really couldn't see very much. That didn't mean that there was nothing to see, as he was fascinated by what looked like fireflies that darted in and out of the leaves, briefly illuminating the canopy with a pale green light. Eventually, they came upon another part of the home, which was shaped in a large, round saucer and suspended by the large limbs that grew from Drasil's trunk. The structure was large enough to fit a whole house inside, and was lined with small windows. Upon entering the structure, the two passed through a relatively short hallway before entering the center of the structure. The interior was shaped in a circle with two levels connected by three small set of stairs. Along the wall on the second level were three doors, not unlike the ones on the eight upper levels of the trunk, only these were brown, rather than green. The second level floor was separated from the first by a rail that kept people from accidently falling to the first, which was bare save for a large circular couch surrounding a large center table.

The place looked quite comfy.

"This is our living quarters. Here is where we will find our rooms where we sleep and relax when we have nothing to do." Aurora explained as she led Naruto up to the second level and to a door with a green symbol engraved on the surface. "And this is your room, Naruto."

The boy looked at the door before turning his gaze up to his aunt. Seeing her nod, he reached out and opened the door.

Inside, he found himself standing in a large room, bigger than the ones inside the trunk of the tree. There was a queen size bed with two nightstands on either side with a pair of lamps to illuminate the room, a large bookcase, a small circular table with three chairs, and a large wooden drawer with a mirror on top. There were a pair of windows on either side of the bed and a large dome window in the center of the roof. A doorway provided and opening on the right wall, which led to a bathroom with a huge tub and a vanity with a sink. A closet sat on the far end of the bathroom, providing space and convenient access to his clothes.

"There are a pair of pajamas in the drawers that should be in your size that you can sleep in tonight, Naruto. Tomorrow morning, we will gather up everything you own in your old apartment and bring it here for you to move in permanently." Aurora said as she stepped forward and raised his forehead protector up so she could plant a kiss on his forehead. "Now get some rest, and I will see you in the morning." With that, Aurora turned and made her way out of the room. When she reached the open door, she turned and offered him one last smile. "Good night, my nephew."

Naruto watched as his aunt closed the door and left him to his thoughts. The experience was so surreal and completely unbelievable. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever think that he would see such a wondrous place, much less live in it. His mother must have been absolutely amazing to be able to make such a home. It definitely topped anything in the village, even the clan compounds and the Hokage tower.

Letting out a tired sigh as the events of the last two days finally caught up with him, the boy went over to the drawers and retrieved the P.J.'s his aunt left him before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Tomorrow would start a new chapter in his life and he wanted to be ready to take it on just as he had always done.

Headlong with a smile on his face.

\- Konoha Village – Next Day –

' _Oh man, that was the best night's sleep I've ever had. My old bed's got nothing on my new one.'_ Naruto thought to himself as he walked down the street that led to his apartment. The morning had started out spectacularly for the boy. He had gotten the best sleep he had ever had thanks to the comfy bed that didn't have any broken springs or tears in the sheets like his old bed had, nor did he have to contend with the constant drafts that came from cracks in the rundown walls. Instead, he slept warm and comfortable in his new home and woke up feeling like a million ryo. After he got out of bed and dressed, he made his way down to the kitchen where he found his aunt making him some breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast and bowl of oatmeal. Something that was new to the boy but was thoroughly enjoyed. His aunt was turning out to be a wonderful cook. Afterwards, the two left Drasil and the grove to go and retrieve his belongings from his old home. Naruto had been in high spirit the whole morning; even to the point where he completely ignored the usual glares he received as he walked down the street.

"You certainly seem happy this morning, Naruto." Aurora asked as she walked beside the boy, her staff in hand, as she used it as a walking stick.

Naruto grinned at his blood relative. "I am happy, Auntie Aurora. This has been the best morning I ever had. I slept well and I got to eat more of your yummy cooking."

Aurora smiled once more. "Well, I'm very happy that you enjoy my cooking so much. I'm just going to have to spoil you with even more of it whenever I can."

The boys grin got even bigger at that statement. He was so going to enjoy having his aunt live with him. A moment later, he recalled something from earlier.

"Hey, Auntie Aurora, what were you talking with Old Willow about earlier?"

Naruto was referring to when Aurora had stepped over to the old talking tree for a moment as the two spoke to one another just before they left the grove. The white sorceress just giggled in response to the question, as if anticipating some great enjoyment that was coming latter.

"Oh, I was just asking him to begin the process of waking up the grove."

Naruto blinked, clearly not understanding what she had meant by that.

"Waking up the grove? What do you mean?"

Aurora winked. "You'll see."

Not getting the answer to his question, the boy pouted a little, which seemed to amuse the woman if the giggles were anything to go by. Before any more could be said, though, they were forced to stop when a middle-aged man stepped in front of the pair.

The man was clearly a civilian, as he had no ninja gear or forehead protector on his person. He was wearing a rather expensive looking kimono, though, showing that the man was rather wealthy to afford such things. A merchant perhaps.

The man took a moment to glare at Naruto, which caused Naruto to frown, before turning his gaze to the woman beside him as he put on a charming smile.

"Hello, miss. I couldn't help but notice you wandering around the village. Seeing as you must be new to Konoha, I wouldn't mind acting as your guide. How about I show you around our great village and we might get the chance to know one another a little better."

Naruto bristled; clearly offended that he was getting brushed off by a guy who acted as if he wasn't even there. Not to mention the he was trying to charm his aunt for crying out load. He would like nothing more than to punch this guy's lights out, but he couldn't because he would get into a ton of trouble if he did, especially since he is now considered an adult by shinobi standards.

Aurora simply stood there for a moment as she stared at the man. After a few seconds, she smiled. "I'm very flattered that you would offer to guide me around, kind sir. However, I am already accompanying this young man beside me and we are rather busy today, so I must respectfully decline."

Naruto couldn't help but to feel a certain satisfaction at seeing the guy get shot down like that, even though he hid it very well.

The man seemed somewhat shocked and offended that the beautiful woman before him would reject his offer in favor of walking around with that little _monster_ , and was perfectly content with letting his opinion be known.

"With all due respect, ma'am, I highly recommend that you do not associate yourself with this… _thing._ You don't know him as well as we do."

Okay, urge to drive fist through face is rising back up again.

"…..And just why would I not wish to associate myself with the only family member I have here in this village, might I ask?"

The guy took a sudden step back as if he had taken a physical blow. "You…you're related to him?" The man asked in shock, an expression that was mirrored by every person within earshot.

Naruto was looking at his aunt as if she was crazy. Doesn't she know what she was doing to herself by announcing her relation to him?

Aurora seemingly ignored the shocked looks she was getting as she continued her conversation. "Of course I am; I'm his aunt after all. Now, this has been a pleasant conversation and all, but we really must be going. I bid you a good day. Come along, Naruto." The woman ended her conversation with the gentleman and started walking again with Naruto staying close. Behind the retreating pair, whispers and murmurs were already picking up as the citizens of Konoha were already discussing the newest piece of information about the demon child and it would not be long before this information spread across the whole village. The merchant was glaring at the pair and was already making plans to inform his shops and the merchant guild about this and the ban that should be placed on the new resident. If this woman was going to associate herself with the demon than she was just as bad as he was.

Meanwhile, Naruto was looking unsettled as he walked beside his aunt, something that she noticed rather quickly.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?"

"…Why did you tell him that?"

Aurora looked over at him curiously. "Tell him what, Naruto?"

"Why did you tell him that we were related? Now you're going to be hated like I am just because you're my aunt."

"And why should I be concerned about the opinion of bigots who are too blinded by their hatred of things they know nothing about?"

Naruto was quite for a moment as he tried to come up with a response. "…I just don't want to see you be treated badly, auntie. You're too nice of a person to be hated."

Aurora smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Naruto. It makes me happy to know that you care about me like that. However, do you think that this is the first time that I have been viewed negatively by a populace? Humans will always fear that which they cannot understand and control, and magic and sorcery falls within those categories." She turned to him. "This is something you will come to understand."

Naruto thought about it for a moment before nodding. If she was fine with it then there really wasn't much he could do about it.

"Instructing your nephew on the facts of life, are we?"

The two stopped and turned to the source of the new voice and found a very familiar figure walking towards them.

"Hokage-jiji!" Naruto shouted with a smile as the Third Hokage walked up to the pair with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Naruto. Lady Aurora." Sarutobi greeted the pair.

"Good morning to you, Lord Hiruzen. Out for a morning stroll?" Aurora greeted with a bit of humor in her voice.

"Why, yes. I was just out seeing the state of my village. A personal inspection is necessary now and again."

The woman giggled. "Oh, I'm sure that your personal inspection is much more important than the numerous documents that require your signature waiting for you back in your office."

Sarutobi grimaced while Naruto laughed.

"Hahaha. She's got you there, Jiji!"

The third coughed into his hand as he tried to steer the conversation away from its current direction.

"Anyways, I was curious about what you two were up to today."

"Oh, we were just on our way to retrieve Naruto's belongings from his former residence and take them to his new home." Aurora answered in a conservative tone.

"Ah, so you've shown him his mothers' home that she made out of a tree, Drasil if I recall the name."

"Huh? You knew about that place?" Naruto asked, not expecting that the old man would know about the hidden grove.

Sarutobi laughed. "Of course I know about it. Your mother and father invited me over several times for dinner. I must say, though, as much as the title 'hidden in the leaves' holds true to this village, your mother took it to a whole new level with her home. Well, if you are going to collect his belongings, would you mind too terribly if I accompany you, I could help with the move?"

Aurora looked rather pleased. "That's very kind of you, Hiruzen. I would not mind if you helped. What about you, Naruto. Would you like for the Hokage to aid us?"

Naruto looked delighted. "Sure."

Sarutobi chuckled as he joined the duo and they headed straight towards Naruto's apartment. When they finally arrived, they took a moment to look the place over. Old, dilapidated and vandalized best summed up the building as everywhere they looked, the stone was cracked, the paint chipped and the wood rotted from severe neglect. The trio made their way up to the top floor where they were greeted by heavy graffiti along the walls that spelled out _exactly_ what the villagers thought of the young boy who lived there.

Aurora sensed the discomfort coming from her nephew and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Naruto. You are done with this life. I can assure you that this place will never bother you again."

Naruto smiled at his aunt just as they made it to the front door of the apartment. What greeted them, though, was rather surprising.

A padlock was placed upon the door, baring entrance into the apartment. Affixed to the center of the door was a notice, posted by the civilian council, declaring the building condemned and that no entry was allowed.

The three stared at the notice with varying degree of emotion. Naruto was staring in disbelief, Aurora looked impartial but was gripping her staff tightly, while Sarutobi looked like he was about ready to tear someone a new one.

"Unbelievable." The third muttered as he flicked his wrist at the lock. The metal lock remained unmoving for a second before it suddenly fell apart in several pieces that clattered noisily on the floor.

Naruto stared at the remains of the lock wide-eyed, simply awed that the village leader was able to destroy something with the simple flick of a wrist.

"That was awesome."

Sarutobi couldn't help but smirk at the boy's comment. With the barrier removed, he opened the door and entered. What he saw inside made his blood boil.

The entire interior of the apartment laid in ruin. The walls were smashed as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and went crazy on the place. Any furniture that existed was now unrecognizable. The cabinetry had been pulverized. All clothing inside the apartment was completely shredded.

Everything that was within the apartment had been completely and utterly destroyed.

"My….my things…." Naruto muttered as he stared at the carnage in both shock and despair. Everything he had owned was inside this place, and there wasn't a single thing that was left for him now.

Sarutobi's lips were set in thin line as he surveyed the complete destruction of the blonde's home and all of his material possessions. He had thought that the villagers wouldn't have the gall to stoop this low. Apparently, he was wrong.

Aurora appeared to be the calmest on out of all of them, with her eyes closed and her breathing normal, but if one were to look at the hand grasping her staff, they would see it trembling as she tightened her hold on it to the point where a slight cracking could be heard.

A few seconds of tense silence, Aurora let out a huge exhale of breathe as she moved towards the center of the apartment.

"I suppose it can't be helped." The sorceress said as she stopped and lifted her staff above her. The crystal began to glow as she waved the tip around in a wide circle, the light appearing to trail behind the crystal until she made one complete rotation. The light stream connected to itself to form a halo above her head.

" _ **Orbis Tractus Reversal!"**_

Slamming the end of the staff to the floor, the halo followed its movement and flew to the floor as it started to expand outward. When the halo collided with the floor, the energy shot out as it expanded in every direction, crawling over every surface it met until it had touched everything within the apartment. What the two males witnessed next left them speechless.

As if someone was turning back the clock, they watched as the apartment started to literally pull itself back together. Wood and plaster lifted off the floor and filled in the holes in the wall. The furniture reassembled itself and the broken pieces instantly mended. Glass and ceramic bowls and plates reformed into single pieces and stacked themselves back into the reformed cabinets. And the clothing re-stitched themselves and floated into the closet right back onto their hangers.

By the time everything stopped moving, Naruto and company beheld a room that looked like it hadn't been touched since Naruto left the premises the morning before.

"Wwwwwwooooooaaaaahhhhhh!" Naruto stared at the marvel that was his aunt's magic, as she had just undone all the damage done to the apartment as if it was a simple task.

Sarutobi took the sight before him in with clear bewilderment before shaking his head and chuckling. "I keep on forgetting what magic is capable of. It seems that you never cease to amaze me, Lady Aurora."

Aurora just smiled at both the praise and the job well done. "Now Hiruzen, you should already know that I make my living doing amazing things. Now then, I do believe that we have a job to do."

"Yes, I do believe you are right. Naruto." Sarutobi said, getting the blonde's attention. "Start collecting your things and bring them all to the living room. I'll help you pack them into storage scrolls so you can carry everything."

"Alright, Jiji." Naruto responded as he dashed off to start collecting anything he had of value in the apartment while Sarutobi and Aurora made themselves useful by grabbing anything they knew was needed. It took the three only an hour to collect the boy's possessions where the Hokage sealed the items into storage scrolls that were soon piled up on living room floor.

When the last few items were sealed away, Sarutobi looked around the apartment, which was now empty save for the rundown furniture that was eventually going to be discarded. The Hokage nodded his head in satisfaction before turning to his surrogate grandson.

"Well, we have everything that belongs to you in these scrolls, but to be on the safe side, is there anything else you can think of that we may have missed?"

Naruto thought about it for a second before snapping his finger. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it."

Naruto went into his bedroom and knelt down in the center of the room and started running his finger along one of the floorboards. Finding an edge, he pulled up with his finger, lifting up the floorboard to reveal an opening where he reached in and searched around.

"Okay….where are….got it!" The boy exclaimed as he pulled out a small envelop with a pleased smile.

"I've been setting aside some of my monthly stipends for a while now, I'm glad you reminded me that it was here." Naruto explained as he pocketed the envelop and returned to the others.

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want to leave something like that behind, would we?" Sarutobi remarked as he held up a large scroll. "Here is everything we sealed up, Naruto. You'll find seven smaller scrolls sealed inside this one that contains your possessions. I assume Iruka taught you how to properly unseal items inside storage scrolls, correct?"

Naruto nodded, remembering the lessons on how to utilize storage scrolls and what they could place inside of them, even though the teacher had to give him additional tutelage after class to get it to sink in.

Man, he hated complicated lectures.

Sarutobi smiled as he handed the scroll over to the boy. "Well then, if that is everything, then all that is left is to close this apartment up for the last time and surrender the keys, which you can just give to me. I have some business with the landlord anyways." The Third was not very pleased with either the lock barring access for the boy or that his stuff had been thoroughly destroy prior to Aurora's restoration spell, and he was going to have words with several people about it.

Woe be to those poor, unfortunate souls.

With everything finally in order, the three locked up the now vacant apartment and went their separate ways. As soon as Naruto and Aurora made it to the main streets, the white sorceress turned to her nephew and spoke.

"Well, now that we have your things, I think we should do a little shopping before we head for home."

"Huh?" Naruto responded as he looked to his aunt. "What kind of shopping, Auntie?"

"Clothes shopping. I believe a change in wardrobe would suite you well. While there is nothing wrong with your sense of fashion, I believe that your jumpsuit is just a bit too baggy for you. It also appears to be the only article of outerwear that you have, is it not?"

Naruto looked down at his attire and grimaced slightly. Truth be told, he didn't really wear the jumpsuit because he liked it, despite that fact that it is orange, but it was the only thing he could get that fit him since the stores refused to sell him anything. He had found the orange jumpsuit when one of the clothing stores threw it out and he pulled it out of the dumpster when no one was looking.

A choice of necessity, really.

"Well, if you say so. But I still want my new clothes to be orange if that's alright?"

"I believe that is a reasonable request. Now, let's go see what we can find."

Nodding in agreement, Naruto followed his aunt as she led him to the village's shopping district to see what they could find.

\- One Hour Later –

News travels very fast when it involves the civilian businesses, and word had already spread about the 'Demon's Family', so it should not have come as a surprise when the moment that Naruto and Aurora entered any of the civilian controlled stores, they were immediately turned away by the scowling owners, informing them that they were not welcomed. While not at all pleased by the treatment they were getting, the two nonetheless took their leave peacefully and continued to look for an establishment that would serve them. But after an hour of looking, it was starting to look like a grim prospect.

"Uh…Auntie…maybe we should just quit. I mean, it's not like we have to find me something new to wear." Naruto said as they left yet another store that had kicked them out. The boy was use to this kind of treatment, having endured it as far back as he could remember. He just felt bad that his kind and generous aunt was being given the same treatment just because she was related to him.

Aurora just gave him her usual smile as she walked beside him. "Nonsense, Naruto. It's far too early to give up. I'm sure that there is someone who would be willing to provide service for us."

Naruto looked a little skeptical but nodded and turned back to the path ahead. "If you say so."

"WHAAA! LOOK OUT!"

"Huh?"

 _*WHAM!*_

The boy's peaceful stroll was abruptly interrupted by the sudden shout and a large object colliding with him, which sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Oh my!" Aurora gasped when she witnessed her nephew being violently thrown to the ground by a speeding object. She looked down at the crumpled heap of legs and arms and saw just what, or rather who, had just knocked the poor boy off his feet.

The person was a young girl with brown hair tied up into a pair of buns on either side of her head that gave her the look of a panda. She had brown eyes and fair skin, much like what most of the village's residence possessed. The girl was wearing a pink sleeveless shirt that was held closed by three long clasps across the front. She also wore green hakama pants while a shinobi pouch was strapped to her right leg and the standard shinobi sandals on her feet. Wrapped around her head was a leaf headband, signifying her to be a member of the shinobi force.

The girl groaned as she lifted herself up and rubbed her head.

"Ouch. Teaches me to run that fast around blind corners." She muttered before she finally noticed the boy underneath her. "Oh shit!" She cursed as she jumped up and grabbed the boy, pulling back up to his feet. "Hey, you alright? I'm really sorry I ran into you like that."

"Uhhh…what hit me?" Naruto asked as he shook his head to clear his vision of all the stars he was seeing. When his thought processes were back to normal, he registered what the girl had said and grinned up at her. "Ah, it's alright. I'm fine, see. No broken bones." As he said that, he moved his arm up and down to show that he had no trouble moving the appendage.

The bun-haired girl sighed in relief, happy that she didn't seriously hurt the boy. "Thank goodness. I was worried for a second there."

It was around that time that Naruto noticed the forehead protector that the girl was wearing. "Hey, you're a ninja, right? That's cool! I just became one myself yesterday."

The girl blinked before noticing the headband that the boy was wearing as well.

How'd she missed that?

"Well I'll be. Got your headband, huh? Well, welcome to the force." She said before she pointed to herself. "Since we might be working together sometime down the road, how about we introduce ourselves. The name's Tenten. Tenten Higurashi." Tenten introduced herself with a wink.

Naruto returned the gesture with his own, patented smile. "Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of the Leaf, believe it."

"Hokage, huh?" Tenten remarked as she looked Naruto up and down. "Not in those clothes."

The boy pouted at the jab to his attire. Why did everyone had to pick at his clothing?

"Actually, we were just looking around to by him something more suitable to wear when you…ran into us." Aurora spoke up for the first time since the conversation began.

Tenten looked over at the woman and was left speechless from her beauty.

' _Whoa! She's gorgeous!'_ Her eyes then traveled down to her figure. She internally grimaced when she noticed her proportions. She couldn't help but to compare herself to the blonde woman and became depressed when she realized that, well; there was no comparison between this mature beauty and her own still developing body.

' _This is so unfair. How do I get a body like that?'_

"Umm…excuse me, Tenten?"

The girl snapped out of depression when she noticed that the woman was talking to her and she coughed into her hand. "Ah, um, you're looking for clothes, right? Well, there are a lot of shops around here that specifically tailor to it. Have you gone down the main market strip?"

"We already did. They wouldn't sell to us." Naruto informed the girl.

Tenten looked shocked at this. "None of them? What the hell!? That's absolutely no way to treat a customer! I mean seriously! If my parents started turning away customers they'd be out of business in a month."

That caught the attention of the two blondes.

"Wait. Your parents own a store?" Naruto asked with some hope in his voice.

Tenten beamed. "Yep. Higurashi Weapons and Apparel. Family owned and operated."

Aurora looked rather pleased as she stepped forward. "Would you mind taking us to your store, Tenten? Seeing how many other stores have refused service to us, we would like to see if your family would accommodate us."

Tenten beamed a smile that could light a dark room. "Of course, Higurashi's never turns away a customer! I can even help you two out since I work there as well. In fact, I was just on my…way…there….OH CRAP! I'M TOTALLY LATE FOR MY SHIFT! I mean, I was late before, BUT NOW I'M _REALLY_ LATE!" Tenten shouted, having realized that her collision with the blonde boy and following conversation had put her further behind in her schedule.

Her mother was _NOT_ going to be happy about this.

Seeing the girl so distressed, Aurora attempted to calm her down. "Please try to relax, Tenten, I'm sure everything will be alright. How about you take us to your store and we'll take the blame for you being late. You can say that you stopped to help us and then offered to show us to your store."

"You'll really do that for me? Really?!" Tenten asked, her eyes brimming with hope.

"Of course. Anything for a sweet young lady like yourself. Now, let us be off. We wouldn't want to keep your family waiting any longer then they have already." Aurora responded as she gestured down the street with her staff.

"Right. Let's get going. Follow me." Tenten declared and the trio set a brisk pace down the road. They were unaware that a pair of pale, pupil-less eyes were following them as they peered out from behind a corner.

\- Higurashi Weapons and Apparel – Ten Minutes Later –

"Mom, I'm home." Tenten called out as she entered the store-slash-home with Naruto and Aurora trailing right behind her. The establishment was set up where the store was built at the front of the building while the house was concealed on the backside. The front door of the house could be accessed from the side of the building. Within the store itself lay rows and rows of weapons, armor and a variety of clothing for both ninja and civilian and even in between, like armor mesh lined shirts and pants and even clothes with built-in weapons and scroll storage pouches. It was actually a pretty bright idea, really.

Before the group could get too deep into browsing around, a commotion in the back got their attention as the sound of rapid steps started getting louder and louder before a figure burst thought the curtain that separated the sales floor and the rest of the building.

"Young lady, you had better have a good explanation for why you're a half hour late for your shift." The woman that suddenly appeared said as she glared at the young teen, who was shrinking back from the gaze.

The woman was clearly related to Tenten, having the same features and looks as well as the manner in which she keeps her hair done up in two buns, only she kept hers contained by a pair of brocades held tight with ribbons. Her style of dress was also similar, a sleeveless red dress with a golden dragon embroiled on the front that hugged her body, showing her mature feminine curves all the way to her hips before flowing straight down to her ankles which were covered by the long ribbons from her sandals. A couple of slits cut on the sides allowed her legs to have free range of motion, which were currently set shoulder width apart as she gave Tenten a hard stare.

"I'm really sorry, Momma, I get held up by Guy-Sensei at the training grounds for fifteen minutes." Tenten explained as she tried to defuse her mother's anger.

She could be really scary when angry.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Be that as it may, I know for a fact that it only takes you five minutes at most to get home when you hurry, so that doesn't excuse you for the ten extra minutes it took."

Aurora took that moment to come to the girl's rescue.

"I'm afraid it is my fault that the girl is so late, miss. My nephew and I were trying to find a store that would sell to us when we ran into young Tenten here. She offered to help us by guiding us to your humble store here."

The woman blinked in surprise when she finally noticed that her daughter didn't come in alone. She was so focused on scolding her daughter that she didn't even register their presence. A look of panic crossed her face before she started bowing to the two blondes repeatedly.

"Oh my Kami, I am so sorry I didn't notice you two before. I should have been paying more attention than that. It's inexcusable for me to ignore customers."

Aurora laughed before waving her hand at the flustered woman. "It's quite alright, dear. No harm, no foul."

A gruff laugh boomed out from behind the curtain that the woman had just appeared through, and not a second later, the largest man they had ever seen stepped into the room.

The man was built like an ox, with a pair of broad shoulders framing a muscular chest that could barely be contained by a dirty, soot covered white muscle shirt while his dark brown pants strained to contain his powerful legs. Add to the fact that the brown haired, bearded man was standing a good head taller than everyone else was and it was an imposing sight to say the least.

"Ah, always with your business etiquette, my little plum. I'm sure that these two don't mind you tending to your parental duties." The man rumbled out as he stepped forward and addressed the two blondes. "Welcome to Higurashi's Weapons and Apparel. I'm Sho Higurashi and this is my lovely wife, Mei-li. It seems that you've already met our daughter, Tenten." The man introduced himself and his wife, who smiled and bowed at her introduction.

"Greetings, Mister and Misses Higurashi. My name is Aurora, and this here is my nephew, Naruto. We were hoping that you would be able to assist us in finding some more suitable clothing for him." Aurora answered, bowing to the couple before explaining why they were there.

Mei-li looked the boy over and cringed. "I can see why you would. That jumpsuit is hideous."

Frowning at the remark, Naruto grumbled about it not being his fault. Mei-li then smiled.

"Well, if it's clothing you're looking for then you've come to the right place. My clothing line is stylish, practical and versatile. And considering that you're a ninja, you're going to want something that comes with some hidden storage space. Now, why don't you come with me, Naruto, and we'll see what we can come up with." Mei-li said, going directly into 'Saleswoman' mode. She then turned to her daughter. "And since you're now here, you can start your shift by helping out, Tenten. Now, be a dear and show them where we keep the clothing for the genin."

"Sure thing, Momma. Come on, Naruto; let's find you something that isn't an eyesore." Tenten declared as she grabbed the blonde boy's wrist and dragged him towards the back of the sales floor, Mei-li following shortly behind.

Aurora giggled at the sight while Sho let out a chuckle himself before the towering man turned to the sorceress. "Well, I should get back to the forge. Those weapons aren't going to make themselves."

"Oh, I assume that you make all the weapons that are sold in this store?" Aurora asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sho grinned at the smaller woman. "Sure do and every stich of cloth here is the creation of my lovely wife. Everything here is made right in this building. It helps keep costs down and taxes low when all you have to worry about is buying materials."

"I imagine so. Then I bid you a good day and good luck with your business." Aurora said as the sole male of the Higurashi house turned and walked back behind the curtain and disappeared from sight.

Aurora was just about to join her nephew in selecting his new clothes when a flash of blue caught her eye. Turning to look out the front window, she just barely caught sight of a figure ducking behind a wall on the other side of the street. Although she did not know who it was, she had the distinct feeling that this person was watching her or her nephew, given the fact that the person had only vanished when she had turned to look. Deciding to find out who this individual was, Aurora made her way behind one of the racks before activating her teleportation spell and vanished.

She immediately reappeared in a back alley behind a building, the one where she had seen the person spying on them hiding behind. Moving silently, she made her way around to the side alley and peeked around to find the very person she was looking for, and what she saw made her eyebrows raise in surprise.

It was a young girl was around her nephews' age, with oxford blue hair in a bob cut, that was peeking around the front corner towards the store she was just in. The girl was wearing a fawn-colored hooded jacket with two red fire emblems sewn on the sleeves and white fur lining the bottom. She also wore a pair of dark blue ninja pants, much like what most of the ninja wore, as well as the standard blue sandals.

Aurora 'hmm'ed as she moved out from behind the corner and slowly approached the young girl, who was completely oblivious to the woman's presence until she came right up behind the girl and leaned over to whisper into the girl's ear.

"So, what exactly are we looking at?"

"EEP!"

The reaction was rather comical, as the young girl literally jumped at the voice straight up in the air, almost clearing three feet before coming down on her feet. Apparently, her body was working faster than her brain as she tried to turn around while in midair, which meant that her feet came down uneven and uncoordinated. As soon as she landed, she lost her balance and started wobbling with her arms flailing until she pitched forward…

 _*BOING!*_

…and suddenly found her face enveloped in something soft and warm.

Aurora blinked as she looked down at the young girl…who had her face firmly planted in her exposed cleavage. Both remained still for a moment until the young girl's head tilted up and the woman found herself looking into a pair of lavender tinted, pale pupil-less eyes.

"Well, hello dear." Aurora greeted as she smiled down at the girl. Said girls' eyes widened and a blush appeared on her cheeks when she realized exactly where she was.

Aurora blinked once more when she suddenly found the girl had moved from where she was to across the alley instantaneously. That was faster than teleportation.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl shouted as she repeatedly bowed at the hips to the sorceress.

Said woman just let out an angelic laugh before waving the offense off. "Oh, no worries, dear. It was just an accident. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for scaring you so badly." She knew that the girl would be greatly startled by her actions, but the opportunity was just too tempting.

The girl straightened and was finally able to properly look at the woman before her, who she immediately recognized as the woman who was accompanying the blonde boy she had been watching. She also should still be inside the store across the street since she never saw her leave it.

How in the world did she get out of the store without her noticing? And how did she manage to sneak up on her so quickly when she only lost sight of the woman for a few seconds?

The young girl's head turned rapidly several times between the store's interior seen through the front window and the blonde woman standing before her with a look of amusement on her face.

"How did…but you were…when did…?" The girl asked in confusion, unable to understand how the woman managed to do what she did.

Aurora couldn't contain her amusement anymore and laughed again. "Oh, my dear, anything is possible with magic." She made another waving motion when she saw the girl give her a look of confusion. "It's nothing for you to worry about. Now then, how about you tell me why you were spying on us."

At this, the young girl suddenly became very nervous and meek as she looked down to the ground while pressing her index fingers together while blushing. Aurora thought that it was an adorable sight.

"…Ano…I-I-I was…umm…I was w-watching…you and…N-Naruto-kun…"

The White Sorceresses' eyes twinkled when she heard the affectionate suffix added to her nephew's name.

"Oh. Are you a friend of Naruto?"

The young girl blushed harder as she found a small stone on the ground to be rather interesting at the moment.

"Ah….well….I just….you see….we were…class mates in the academy….and…"

"…So you knew him from the academy, but not really friends, huh? Do you want to be Naruto's friend?" Aurora asked, figuring that would be the reason she would follow him after they had graduated, among other reasons of course.

The girl started to press her index fingers together again. "Well…I…would like to...talk to him…and…befriend him…"

"Well, what's stopping you, my dear? I can tell you right now that he would welcome you as a friend." _'And maybe even more if my hunch is right.'_

"….." The young girl remained silent as she glanced in the direction of the shop before blushing harder as she looked back down again.

' _Oh dear. It seems that this one is a little too shy. Perhaps some gentle prodding is in order.'_ Aurora thought as she walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be so shy, my dear. If you want, I can help you. Just come with me."

"Oh…uh…I wouldn't want to…interrupt what you two are doing."

"Nonsense, sweetie. You wouldn't be interrupting. Besides, it's always nice to have more friends around; after all, they do say 'The more the merrier.'

"Oh…well…thank you…um…"

"Oh dear, where are my manners. I completely forgot to introduce myself. I am Aurora. May I have your name, my dear?"

"H-Hinata Hyuuga."

"Hinata. A beautiful name for such a beautiful girl."

"T-t-thank you…"

"Now then, let's go on in, I'm sure that my nephew is wondering where I am." Aurora suggested as she nudged Hinata's back with her hand and stated guiding the girl towards the shop.

"O-okay….Wait. Your nephew? Y-you mean that Naruto-kun is your nephew?" Hinata spun around to stare at the woman in surprise. It was a popular belief that the boy had no family at all living within Konoha.

"Why yes, he is. He is the son of my sister, who lived in this village for many years."

Hinata was completely shocked at this revelation. For the longest time, she believed that Naruto was an orphan without a single living relative, something that saddened her greatly. To know that he had found a relative that cared for him lifted her spirit immensely, if the soft smile appearing on her face was any indication.

Aurora was just about to guide the young girl in to the shop so that she could help the shy young thing break the ice with her nephew when they were suddenly interrupted by a new voice calling out.

"Hinata-sama."

The two turned to find a man in his early twenties with long black hair trailing down his back and the same pale, pupil-less eyes like Hinata's wearing a white yukata along with a white headband rapidly moving up to them.

"Hinata-sama, I have been looking for you everywhere. Your father has ordered me to bring you home. It's time for your meal."

Hinata blinked before realizing that it was indeed midday at this point. "O-oh, uh, I s-see." The shy young girl then turned to the blonde woman and bowed. "I-I'm afraid that this is w-where we pa-part ways, Miss Aurora. I'm sorry that I c-can't go in to greet your n-nephew like you suggested."

Aurora waved off the apology. "It's quite alright my dear. Perhaps the next time we meet we can try again. You just run along home to your family, I'm sure they are waiting for you to join them."

"Y-yes. Have a pleasant day, Miss A-Aurora." Hinata bid the woman with a bow before turning to leave, the older Hyuuga bowing before following after exactly two steps behind the young girl. Aurora recognized this as sign that Hinata held a significant position within the family and that the male might have been a servant of some kind. She would have to look into the Hyuuga families' social structure when she had the time.

Shortly after the two Hyuuga left, the sorceress entered the shop and made her way towards the back where the changing stalls were located. As she rounded the final rack separating them from her destination, she found Tenten waiting just outside one of the stalls as the sound of fabric rubbing and shifting could be heard on the other side of the curtain.

"Oh! There you are. I was wondering where you went off to." Tenten said as she spotted the blonde woman.

Aurora just smiled at the young woman as she came to a stop before her. "Oh, don't mind me; I was just having a nice conversation with a young lady while Naruto was changing."

Before anymore idle talk could be carried on, the curtain to the changing stall slid open as Naruto stepped out and presented himself to the crowd of females.

Gone was the orange jumpsuit, and in its place was an ensemble of clothing that looked quite good on the young blonde. The boy now wore a sleeveless burnt orange vest that was held closed with a braided cord wrapped around his waist like a belt. Under the vest was a black, sleeveless shirt with a long collar that covered almost all of his neck. A pair of long, black fingerless gloves covered his arms all the way up to the bicep, leaving his shoulders exposed. His legs and torso were covered by a pair of black shinobi pants with a utility pack strapped to his right thigh. A pair of black shinobi sandals finished the outfit.

To the ladies, it was definitely an improvement.

"Oh my, don't you look handsome now, Naruto." Aurora said as she placed her hand against her cheek.

"Hey, not bad. You're starting to look like a real shinobi now." Tenten remarked, as she looked the boy over. She really liked the fact that some of the clothing reflected her own fashion sense.

Naruto moved his limbs around as he got a feel for his new outfit before grinning to himself. "You know what, I think I like this. It's definitely better than that oversized jump-suit."

"I couldn't agree more." A voice said from behind. Naruto turned around to find Mei-li walking up to him with an object in her hands. "That horrid thing is nowhere near appropriate shinobi attire. Far too bright, completely inadequate for stealth."

Naruto chuckled at that statement. "If that is the case, then I fear for our village's future, considering that I used to lose pursuing jonin and ANBU while wearing it."

The elder woman giggled at the statement as she leaned down to present the boy with the item in her hands. "I changed out the cloth on your forehead protector, seeing how blue won't fit with your current attire."

Naruto looked and just as the woman said, the cloth of his protector had been changed from its standard blue to a deep black that fits the style of his clothing. The boy took the offered item before wrapping it around his head and adjusting the fit. Satisfied with its position, he turned back to his audience to receive the final verdict.

"What do you girls think?"

Tenten smiled as she flashed the boy a thumbs up. "Looking good. Now you really do look like a shinobi."

Aurora nodded her approval. "You certainly do make that look work."

"Then I am to assume that your approval means you will be taking them?" Mei-li asked the two blondes.

Aurora nodded her head. "Yes, I believe that these clothes will be adequate. I believe we will be purchasing a 'shinobi dozen' of these if we could."

The older sales woman clapped her hands together as she beamed a smile. "Wonderful. I'll ring it up at the counter."

As the two ladies moved up front, Naruto gave his kunoichi senior a questioning look. "Shinobi dozen?"

Tenten replied as she rubbing the underside of her nose with a smile. "A shinobi dozen is a lot like a baker's dozen. She's asking for about fifteen identical copies of the clothes you are wearing. Ninja's do this because of the likelihood that our clothing gets damaged while we're in combat so that we can have several spares on hand when we need it and not have to keep running back to the store for more every other mission. Your aunt is also getting a discount for buying in bulk."

"Oh…guess that makes sense." The boy said as the two moved to where the adults were just as Mei-li finished up the sale.

"Alright, you got fifteen sets of clothes on order. The ones he's wearing is the first set and the other fourteen I'll have to make but it shouldn't take more than a few days. I'll have the order filled by the end of the week."

Aurora nodded. "That will do perfectly, dear. As for payment, I'm afraid I don't have any of your currency, but I believe this should more than suffice." As she said this, she pulled out a brown pouch the size of a fist and poured the contents out on the counter.

When Mei-li and Tenten saw the objects that spilled on the table, their eyes grew so large, it was a miracle they didn't fall out of their sockets. Gems! Jewels! Diamonds! Precious stones of all sorts lay in a small pile on the counter. The two Higurashi females had never seen so many jewels in one place before. The pile was certainly worth more than what the order was worth.

"Miss Aurora! I couldn't possibly accept this! This is way too much for the order!" Mei-li cried out when she finally shook of her shock.

"Oh, nonsense, my dear. You have done such a wonderful job in helping us. Think of it a gratuity. I was already planning on using all this when we were shopping with the other stores. Such a shame they turned us down, they could have made such a profit. I guess you'll just have to take their share of it. In fact, I think we will be doing all our shopping here from here on out since you have done such a fine job. I'll be sure to bring such an amount with me every time. In fact, I believe I must just invest in this little shop of yours to help it grow." Aurora countered with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Let it be known that Aurora does not get mad at people who choose to insult her.

She makes them regret it for the rest of their lives.

Mei-li just stared at the woman for the longest time as the possibilities flashed through her mind. The small pile of jewels was worth more than what their store made in a month, and this woman was saying that she would spend that same amount for every visit. Not only that, but she was also declaring that she would invest funds in Higurashi's as well. These thoughts suddenly had Ryo signs flashing in her eyes before a huge grin appeared on her face. "Well, if you insist, I would most happily accept this payment. I certainly look forward to doing business with you in the future."

Aurora smiled back at the woman. "I look forward to it as well, Missus Higurashi." Aurora then turned to her nephew. "Come along, Naruto. It's time to head home."

"Alright, Auntie. It was nice meeting you Tenten. I hope to see you around. Maybe we'll end up on a few missions together." Naruto responded before turning to his fellow ninja and bid his farewell.

"Sure thing, Naruto. It was nice meeting you too." Tenten replied as she watched the two depart before turning to her mother. "I can't believe they would pay use like this. How much is this stuff worth?"

"Enough to keep this store running for months and then some. I think we just hit the jackpot with this customer." Mei-li said as she scooped up the pile on the counter. "And you can expect a huge bonus on your next allowance for bringing them to our store, Tenten."

"You really mean it, mama?" Tenten asked as she held her fists up to her face, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Of course, dear. Now, would you mind too terribly minding the counter while I'm out for a few hours? I need to take this and cash it in at the jewelers then head to the bank."

Tenten blinked in confusion. "But mama, it shouldn't take you that long to do all that."

A mischievous grin appeared on the woman's face. "That's because I'm going to rub the bank stub right in the faces of the merchant's guild. This will teach them to try to strong-arm me into joining them."

Tenten blinked again before a smirk appeared on her face as she nodded. She only regretted that she wouldn't be there to see the look on the greedy bastards faces. To say that she had a slight dislike of the civilian merchant's guild was like saying she had a slight love of weapons.

\- Karoline's Grove – Later –

Naruto and Aurora appeared back in the grove after making their way through the village and back to the 'Gate Tree', as Naruto called it. With all of their business concluded, it was time to head home. Naruto stretched as they walked along the path towards Drasil, happy to officially be moved in to his mother's home.

"Man, what a day. Glad to finally be out of that old place."

"I'm sure you are. That building was not suited for anyone to live in, but now that is all in the past. Come along, now. It's time for lunch, and afterwards, we can begin your magic training." Aurora said from her place by his side.

Naruto smiled and pumped his fist. "Woohoo! This is going to be awesome! I'm going to be a magic shinobi."

 _*Giggle!*_ "I believe the term you are looking for is 'Shinobi Sorcerer', Naruto. But yes, you will be able to use magic."

Naruto smiled as he walked along the path, eager to begin his training.

 _*Growl!*_

But first, he needed to fill his stomach.

"Oh man, I guess I am pretty hungry. Thirsty, too. Wish I had some water right now."

A slender hand held out a cup of cool water to him.

"Here is some water, Lord Naruto."

"Ah, thanks." Naruto said as he took the cup and started to drink…

 _*Speeeeeeewwww!*_

…Until his mind caught up and he spit the water out in surprise. After coughing for a second, Naruto turned to find the person who gave him the cup, and promptly blushed at what he saw.

Standing before him was what appeared to be a girl in her late teens. She was definitely a looker, with a heart shaped face, flowing hair and hourglass figure with a slightly buxom physique. But what really stood out was the dominant color she had. Green. The girl was green from top to bottom. Her hair was a vibrant green, her eyes were emerald, hell, even her skin had a green hue to it. And the only thing she was wearing was tree leaves that barely covered her bust and hips, hiding her most intimate parts.

The green girl looked at him with concern clear in her eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Lord Naruto?"

"Ah…Wha…Who?" Naruto asked as he looked at the girl before turning to his aunt who was having a giggle fit.

 _*Giggle!* "_ Don't worry, Elena, you just took Naruto by surprise, is all."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lord Naruto." The girl, Elena, said as she bowed.

"Ah…uh, it's okay, like she said, you just surprised me." Naruto said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ah, if you don't mind me asking, who and _what_ are you?"

The girl smiled as she straightened up and crossed he hands over each other. "My name is Elena, and I am a Wood Nymph, Lord Naruto."

"…a Wood Nymph?" Naruto asked.

"Allow me to explain." Aurora spoke up, gaining his attention. "Nymphs are magical beings who are the embodiment of nature. There are several types of nymphs in existence, each one in tuned with a specific part of nature. Wood nymphs are an example one such type. They can be found in any forest or wooded area."

"Huh." Naruto remarked as he turned back to the smiling nymph. "So, you're a wood nymph? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help tend to the grove. We nymphs help cultivate to land and ensure its growth. Lady Karoline brought us here to help take care of her grove, as well as serve her and the other sorceresses."

"Hmm…wait. Us?" Naruto asked.

"Mm hm." Elena responded as she gestured towards the pond in the distance. Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out when he saw a group of green nymphs not very different from Elena were busy either splashing around in the water or were busy cultivating the nearby trees. One of the nymphs spotted the trio and called out to the others who turned, smiled and waved at them.

"Good Evening, Lord Naruto. Good evening, Lady Aurora."

Naruto waved robotically at the group of nymphs while Aurora waved with a smile. When it looked like the boy had gotten his thoughts together, he turned back to the nymph. "So…you guys are like servants or something?"

"That is correct, Lord Naruto."

"Uh, about that. Why do you keep calling me 'Lord Naruto'?"

"Because you are the lord of this grove, as you are Lady Karoline's son, you inherited it and us."

Naruto scratches his head, not able to dispute that fact. "Well, alright, but don't call me 'Lord', it makes me feel like an old geezer."

Elena looked taken aback. "I couldn't possibly do that, Lord Naruto. You are the lord here."

"You might as well get used to it, Naruto. Nymphs are very stubborn when they are addressing those they see as their superiors." Aurora spoke up as she placed a hand on her nephew's shoulder. She then turned her attention to the nymph. "Now, Elena, you may return to the others. Naruto and I will be in Drasil for the remainder of the day if you need us for anything."

Elena bowed to the sorceress. "By your leave, Lady Aurora, Lord Naruto." With that, the green nymph turned and skipped back over to her sisters.

Naruto watched her leave before turning back to his aunt. "Well, can't say that was expected. Where exactly did they all come from? I didn't see them before."

"Do you remember when I ask old willow to wake up the grove? That is what I was referring to. Old willow was going around waking up the nymphs from their sleep."

"Where exactly do they sleep? Are they using the rooms inside the trunk?"

Aurora shook her head in the negative. "The nymphs sleep in the woods. They stay inside large flower bulbs that grow out of the ground deep in the woods beyond the grove. When they wake up, the bulbs bloom and they come out. When they retire for the night, the climb back in and sleep as the bulbs close up again. Before our arrival, they were in hibernation, waiting for you to come and claim the grove."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. He was starting to get used to all the oddities that was magic.

"Well, I believe we have dallied enough. Come along, it's time for lunch."

Naruto nodded his head as he followed behind his aunt as they made their way to Drasil. A smirk appeared on his face as he thought about what the next few hours would bring.

\- Drasil's Library – Later –

Naruto and Aurora arrived on the library level after having their fill of lunch, which to Naruto's delight was homemade miso ramen. The boy swore that his aunt was competing with Ichiraku's for the spot of Naruto's favorite in the ramen department with the meal she made. After having his fill of twenty bowls, amazingly, they headed for the library to begin his training. Stepping out of the lift, the two walked over to the nearest desk and sat down.

"Now, Naruto, we will begin the lessons for understanding magic and the first thing to learn is what is known as 'The Trinity.'" Aurora said as she waved her hand at the desk. A small circle appeared as a brown book materialized in the light. The circle faded as the book landed on the desk. Opening the book, Aurora turned the pages until she reached a picture of a triquetra symbol with a large circle inside the arches.

"Now then, I'm sure that they taught you about chakra in the academy, correct?" Aurora asked as she looked to Naruto.

"Yeah, they did, but it kinda went over my head and the instructor didn't want to explain it to me again." Naruto said sheepishly, as Aurora nodded her head, figuring that was the case. She didn't trust the educators to properly teach the boy, Iruka being the exception.

"As I expected. Well, let me teach you something that is a little bit different from what they taught in the academy. Now, to understand both magic and jutsus', you must understand how the energy that fuels them is created. You see, there are three parts that make up a living being. The mind, which holds the knowledge gained through life, the body, which is the physical manifestation of us and acts as a container, and the soul, which is our spiritual selves. These three make up the Trinity of Life and are represented by the three arches in the triquetra." Aurora explained as she pointed to the intersect arches in the picture.

"As you can see, the arches intersect each other inside the circle. These intersections represent where the energies combine to form their respective powers. Now, what the instructors have taught you is that 'chakra', or willpower as we like to call it, and the energy that powers jutsus', is made up by combining the energy from mind, which they call spiritual energy, and the body, which is called physical energy, to produce chakra. This, however, is not an accurate description. What they identify as spiritual energy is actually 'mental' energy, spiritual energy is produced by the soul.

It is the combination of physical and mental energy that produces chakra, which ninja's use for their techniques."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding, happy to finally learn the lesson properly with someone who was patient enough to explain it to him. "So physical and mental energy makes charka. What to sorceresses use to make magic?"

"That would be 'Mana' which is produced by combining energy from the mind and soul. Mana is the power of mysticism and spirituality, and we use it in magic. This is what I will teach you to harness in the next few days."

Naruto took a second to absorb this knowledge before asking. "So. If chakra is body and mind while mana is mind and soul, what does body and soul create?"

Aurora smiled brightly at the boys' inquisitiveness. "I'm glad you asked that, Naruto. I knew that you were really a bright boy who was just cheated out of his education. To answer your question, the union of body and soul creates the energy known as 'Prana', which is called life energy, and it is what allows our bodies to move. These three energy sources is what allows us to live. Thus, they make up the Trinity."

Naruto looked wide-eyed at his aunt. Who knew that humans had such sources of power inside them?

"Now that I have explained this, there is something you must understand." Aurora continued with her lecture. "You learned that in order to increase your chakra reserves, you needed to strengthen both mind and body. Well, by doing this, you not only are increasing you charka, but also your mana and prana as well. By strengthening the mind and body, you are also strengthening the soul. You are increasing your overall reserves by studying and training, so we will be continuing the routine you had in school. You will be spending equal amounts of time studying here in the library as you will be enduring physical training, so be prepared."

Naruto grumbled pouted at the thought of having to keep studying, despite now being out of the academy. Aurora noticed this before she smiled and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Now, now, Naruto. Don't pout. You're going to find that being a sorcerer means spending a lot of time reading as we constantly seek out new knowledge and spells to use. Sometimes we even are able to invent our own spells using this knowledge. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

His eyes lit up with the idea of creating new spells that now one has seen before. That was cool.

"Well, when you put it like that…."

Aurora giggled. "I'm glad you see it my way. Now, for one last lesson. You may be producing three different types of energy, but that does not mean that they will remain in those forms. The energies actually flow through each other, and this is what creates life. The energies share the same reserve, and by using one, you are decreasing the others as they change to fill in what is used up. So, if you overuse your chakra, you will use up you mana and prana as well. This results in what ninja's know as chakra exhaustion and can be fatal if you use it all up. Since you are leaning both jutsus and spells, use mist be extra cautious when using them, or else you risk dying from the strain, do you understand?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, I understand, auntie."

"Good boy. Now that that is out of the way, we can begin teaching you how to draw out your mana. Fortunately, we have a way to do that using a magic circle used by our novices. We'll start immediately if that is what you want."

Naruto nodded his head with a determined look on his face, one that had Aurora smiling whole she lead her nephew back to the lift where they could go outside for the spell. Thus, Naruto Uzumaki began his journey down the path of a sorcerer.

\- To Be Continued –

{Author's Notes}

Well, chapter three is done at last. This one shows some interactions with the village and Naruto's new home.

The idea of Drasil came to me as I tried to figure out what the home looked like. I wanted it unique as this story interacts with the realm of magic. My first thought was a cottage in a grove, but that had been done before. So has a large clan manor. I started thinking about a tree house and began looking at images of mystical tree houses on the web, but it wasn't until I found a picture of a tree with rooms built into the trunk did I come up with Drasil, the large tree home that reminds me of a world tree. Large enough to accommodate any number of guests and still have room for more. The grove itself is based on the elven areas found in World of Warcraft that I played when I was a teen.

I hoped there was enough magical elements in this chapter for everyone.

We see a little interaction between two of the girls in the rookie nine as well as the village populace in general. Expect a bit of civilian bashing as the story progresses.

Finally, Naruto begins his training by understanding the Trinity and how it is used.

A long chapter to be sure but works great as a foundation for the rest of the story. Let me know what you think and look forward to the next chapter somewhere down the road.

Peace.


End file.
